Dani Phantom and the Specter Detectors
by Ri-kun
Summary: Dani Phantom has left Amity Park to strike out on her own. Five years have past as she settles in a new town to find her freedom and live life by her own rules. When three ghost hunters enter the picture, she finds herself in a conspiracy of epic propo
1. Episode 1 Cat Scratch Fever

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 1

Cat Scratch Fever

_"Two Wheels of Terror!"_

by Ri-kun

The engines roared not far behind her. Dani Phantom spared a glance behind her just in time to see a claw swipe the air near the whisp of her tail. Dodging it, but just barely, she dove to the side as another one missed her ponytail by mere inches. The Alley Cats were closing in on her, laughing as they cheered on the leader to bring her down. They thought she was cornered now. This alley came to a dead end, just as she was sure they knew.

Perfect.

Dani jerked hard to the right just as a blast caught the air right where she should have been. The blast was a bit bigger than she'd been expecting, and the shock from it sent her tumbling. Unable to orient herself, Dani was forced to allow fate to decide whether she landed right-side up or not. Not one to leave too much to destiny, however, she closed her eyes to drown out the spinning and let her body phase to it's intangible form. A warm chill passed through her body, signaling her brain that she'd just gone through a wall.

Dani opened her eyes and allowed herself a moment to relax, which proved too soon a mistake. Her body immediately shifted solid again, only to collide with a crate. She thudded along the concrete floor for a couple of feet, unable to go intangible again so quickly, before coming to a stop on a support beam. It was not the smooth exit she'd been planning, yet the sound of several metal bikes crashing into one another against a brick wall still brought a smirk to her lips. Her plan had still worked, despite the unexpected turn. Phasing through the storage room wall again, Dani Phantom looked around to find a pile of werecats entangled amid a mess of broken plastic and metal pipes. Every single one of them had crashed just as she'd hoped.

"Thanks for the chase, boys!" she called out, taking to the sky again. "A girl likes to know when a guy is interested, but this is taking it a bit far. You might want to consider working on your approach next time. Ciao!"

A roar caught her ears before she flew much further. "This isn't over, halfa! We will make you pay for what you've done."

"Just like every other boy I've know," she called back, shaking her head. "Full of promises, but slow on results."

Dani Phantom took off to the skys, laughter filling her lungs as she soared away from the danger, and the Alley Cat leader's vows of revenge, unaware the whole time she was being watched by a pair of eyes hidden behind a very ordinate cycle helmet with build-in visor. The face behind it narrowed a pair of intense, clever eyes attached to a lovely young girl's face, not much older than her. The girl opened her visor and watched as Dani Phantom flew off into the night, her vision unaided by technology.

"It's definitely her," she said, waiting patiently for teammates' analysis. "Tenth sighting this month, so far. What do you think?"

"Class M," the boy next to her said flatly, stepping aside so the third member of their team could see. "At least! Probably a level eight ranking spector with free-roaming capabilities."

"It's ability to stay corporeal for so long worries me. I think we'd better retreat for now. The Professor will want a full status report before the night's over with, anyway. We'll need to load up with specific gear before tangling with something like that."

"I agree," said the third, finally. He closed off his helmet visor before peering off into the night. "Come. The Professor is waiting for us."

The three loaded themselves up into the Spector Sled and roared it to life. "So, who do you think she was?" the first male said, looking from one member to the next. "I mean, before she... died."

"Does it matter?" asked the third member replied, shrugging. "Whatever remains on this earth is just a whisp of human consciousness. There's nothing left of the original girl but condensed ectoplasm driven by a further desire to exist, and maybe some of her original memories."

"He's right," said the female member, gripping the Sled's handlebars. "Thinking about it just gets in the way of the job. We'll finish our patrol and head right back to base. The Professor's going to want to know what we've found. Plus, there's still that other sighting of a gang of monster bikers roaming this part of town."

"I still say that's a rumor," he replied, shaking his head. "I mean, a bunch of ghost human and cat hybrids prowling the streets on motorcycles. Sounds to me like somebody spent way too much time on Whiskey Avenue!"

"You could be right," said his counterpart, thoughtfully. "Still, we should investigate all sightings of ectoplasmic manifestations. The last two sources proved accurate, and they were definitely far-fetched."

"Yeah, a haunted sock drawer. Who'd have guessed something like that would wind up in Silent Hollow?!"

"Cut the chatter, you two!" the girl barked. "We're supposed to be hunting ghosts, not having girl talk sessions."

"Yes, sir!" they each said in turn.

About half a minute's time went by, then he looked over at her again. "So... did Todd Jasons ask you out yet?"

"SHUT UP!"

* * * * *

Dani flopped down on her matress and sighed contently for a moment. The day had just started, but luckily it was already warm enough for a morning shower. The make-shift spiggot she'd manufactored for herself stood over in the corner, water dripping down from it to puddle around the garden hose she'd smuggled out of a local Wall-2-Wall Mart. It was ice cold, of course. There was no water heater to provide any sort of heat, but she had long since gotten used to not having such luxuries. It was a small price to pay in return for the freedom she afforded.

All too soon, it was time to get up, however. The day was young, and there were pockets to be picked from the fat jeans of tourists. Dani stood up off the single matress that was her bed and shook the rest of the water from her damp hair. A pile of clothes lay in the corner, dirty, which was an omen that she would be doing laundry soon again. It always seemed like what little money she made wound up going towards quarters for the washing machines at the laundrymat. She generally tried to wear them at least three days in a row, but Dain liked the feel of warm clothes on her body. In the winter time, it was just about the only way to keep from freezing.

The single room wasn't much, but she was proud of it. Bits and pieces here and there had added personality to the place, giving it a pale reflection of herself. She was finally starting to feel at home here, and that was really mattered in the end. The hidden room of this old warehouse had probably been added to hide illegal goods at one point, but now she claimed it for herself. Dani had stumbled on it by accident one night after running from the local cops. She'd only meant to be in this town for a few days, but finding this place had changed her mind. It just reeked of potential, like herself. There was so much she could do with it once it'd been spruced up some.

Dani took a deep breath, admiring her reflection in the mirror for a moment. A girl about about fifteen looked back at her with brown eyes and black hair that had been done up in a ponytail. Her face was round and looked very healthy for someone who didn't always eat three times a day. Her body still had a bit of growing to do, but overall, she was finally started to fill out in all the right places. Dani set the mirror down carefully and quickly phased out of her dirty clothes and into the last set of clean ones she owned. A yellow bandana covered the top of her head. Below it was a tight, red tank top and dark greyish cargo pants. The boots, she had picked up from a hotel a few weeks back after some dumb dooshbag had left him lying in the hallway. The pants were getting a bit worn, but she liked them.

Smiling, Dani gave herself a once over in the mirror, then hurried outside through the wall. The room had been sealed off for some time, but she was able to come and go as she pleased via her phasing powers. Just like her 'cousin', she could walk through walls and the surface of solid matter like it was second nature to her. Coming out in the sunlight, Dani slipped her shades on and went to work.

The stretch of road called Whiskey Avenue was usually littered with tourists from all over the place, and today was no exception. People on vacation wandered from one side of the street to the next exploring the shops and local haunts while waiting for nighttime to come, when the clubs and bars would open. This was her usual hunting ground, but Dani always liked to spend a few minutes watching people roam; each one of them had a story to tell, and she frequently wondered whether theirs was much different from her life. Of course, the majority of people had probably not lived the life of a cloned superhero. Danny's name was pretty famous these days. She had debated more than once on whether to stop by and say hello, but something always held her back. He had his life now, and she had hers, though it was far from heroic.

The bottom of the line was, Danny Phantom had never used his powers for stealing. She'd tried numerous times to get a job, but most places refused to hire a runaway teenager with no background or social security number. There were other places she could have gone, but they were the sort of jobs that people rarely walked away from. Dani had already met more than a few ghosts of those professions, and some of them still weren't dead yet. So, she took what she could, and paid for things when money was available.

Fortunately, pickpocketing was the easy part. Being half ghost, Dani could have gained a reputation as the greatest thief in all of Silent Hollow, if not the whole world, had it interested her. Making herself invisible, she slid up next to a childless couple walking hand-in-hand down the road and reached an intangible hand for the woman's purse. It slid through with no resistance, and she felt her fingers close around the wallet inside. Pulling it out, she removed a twenty, then put the rest back. Moving on to the next target, a man in his forties who was alone, she relieved him of a fifty that was nestled between several hundred dollar bills, and went on her way. No one saw her, and as she was levitating an inch or two above ground, there were no footprints to follow. Dani had gotten into this habit after an incident where she picked the pocket of a woman in costume at an Anne Rice convention. The screaming had been horrible, and it taught her a thing or two about discression even while invisible.

On and on she went for about an hour or so, then decided to call it quits. There was more than enough money in her hands for now, and she still had places to go. It was almost time for the Moonrise Grill to open it's doors.

Dani had learned about this place from a fellow homeless man. It was renowned throughout the area for having the best food of any place on the coast. People from all around came here to eat, and it was a hotspot for the teenage crowd to boot. Which meant she could walk in whenever she wanted and no one would be the wiser. With the money she'd stolen bulging in her pocket, Dani sauntered through the front door like she belonged here and went up to the counter. The place was already filling up with people, but fortunately, the line wasn't very long just yet. She had arrived just in time. The elder man behind the counter took one look and her and grinned.

"Fire up the grill, Sam! Our moneymaker's back again."

Dani felt herself blush a little and waited until it was her turn amid several people who stared openly at her. "Hello, Mr. Graves," she said, giving him a smile. "How's business these days?"

"Better, now that you're here. The usual?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "And throw in a bacon burger and grilled shrimp for me, too."

Graves looked at her and shook his head. "Any chance you'll tell me how you can pack away that much food in a day and still be as skinny as you are? Why, I've seen spatual handles that had more meat on them than you do!"

"Trade secret," she said, reaching into her pocket for the cash. "Sorry about being short the last time, but this'll cover it."

She handed him the money, which he took from her while ringing up twenty different orders. "What?" he paused, still teasing. "No spare change this time?"

Dani just shrugged. "I was all outta spare change. The drier at the laundrymat ate them all. But, on the plus side, at least I'm springtime fresh."

"Go on!" he chuckled, handing her the reciept. "Have a seat. Sam'll bring your order out in just a minute."

Dani waited in a booth while her food was being made, careful to keep to herself. It was a Saturday, which meant no school. Dani had never felt very comfortable around other kids, even though by all accounts she should be considered a teenager. Her life was far too different for her to blend in well, so she tried to keep distance from normal people. The few times she'd tried to open up hadn't ended well, especially at her last foster home. Dani supressed a shudder and kept her mind clear of any thoughts connect to her past, and watched for her order to arrive.

The boy called Sam came out about a half-hour later with four plastic bags loaded to the brim. Dani stood up at once to take it from her, but Sam was quick to set it on the table. "Wait right here," he breathed, turning around. "I'll be right back."

Dani waited, a little perplexed, and watched as Sam disappeared through the back doors again. About two seconds later, he came back out with two more bags of food and a tray containing her order, which he then placed at the other end of the booth.

"There you go," he said. "Four beef burgers with all the trimmings, seven onion platters with the works, five sesame seed po-boys with shrimp and cheese, twelve orders of jumbo cajun curly fries, ten orders of pop-pop crawfish, twenty sides of onion rings, and fifteen grilled chicken sandwiches with no mustard. All that, and a bacon burger with grilled shrimp on the side. Sorry about the wait, by the way!"

"No problem," she said, before attacking her burger with a vengence.

"Listen, Graves said I could go on my break since we've slowed down a little. Is it alright if I sit here?"

Dani paused for a second in mid-bite, but shrugged and gestured to the other side. "It's a free country," she choked out. "You work here. I'm just passing through."

"Thanks," he said, though she wasn't quite sure for. The boy called Sam watched patiently as she finished her sandwich, then went on to the shrimp. Dani never ate more than one thing at a time; just one of her peculiar habits.

"So, how have things been?" he blurted out. "I've been off the last couple of days, so I missed you."

"I mean," he added, quickly. "I missed seeing you come in here! Not that I missed... Well, I did kinda..."

"Thanks," she chortled, taking a sip of her drink. "It's no big deal."

Sam fell silent as if she'd just slapped him, which made Dani's insides knot up a little. The guy probably liked her a little, which posed a problem. She might have to stop comimg here for a while, at least until his crush subsided. Dani knew she couldn't date normal boys, but it would have been nice to have a friend to talk to. Experience whispered otherwise, but she couldn't help wanting it a little in spite of the past. Anger welled in inside of her for a second.

This was why she couldn't be around normal people. He was part of a world totally alien to her, and no amount of trying would ever make things different. Dani finished the rest of her shrimp quickly, then stood up to throw her trash away.

"Here, lemme get that!" Sam said, standing up right after her.

Dani didn't see him move in time. She had just passed by him when he jumped from his street, and the movement caught her so off-guard that she jumped slightly. His foot stuck out directly underneath hers as she came back down, which forced her in turn to fall sideways. Dani wound up somehow in Sam's arms as her tray went crashing loudly to the floor. People from all around the room turned to see her laying cradled in his arms like a small child. Something hot rushed through her, making her face burn with humiliation. Sam quickly sat her down, his own face as red as a beat, and moved to help her pick up the trash.

People were laughing openly as she stood. "I am so sorry about that," he babbled, opening the dispenser for her. "I guess I just stood up too... Listen, do you wanna go to a party?"

Dani froze. "What?" said asked, point-blank.

"Okay, I said that completely wrong, didn't I?" he flushed. "But, the thing is, there's supposed to be this party at my friend's house. Actually, he's more like a friend of an aquaintence, but my parents said it was okay as long as I brought somebody with me, and no one else I know wants to go. So, will you go with me?"

Dani blinked. "Why do you want me to go if none of your friends will?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, then. "Why kind of party is this, anyway?"

"Yeah, you've got me there. The guy throwing it is a total jerk. He likes to throw his money around by having a bash whenever his parents leave, and then humiliate some poor freshman at some point. But, on the plus side, there's going to be free beer!"

"I don't drink."

Sam shrugged. "Neither do I, really. How about free chips, then?"

Dani moved out of the way and picked up the remaining bags of food. "I have to go now," she said quickly. "But thanks for inviting me. I think."

"Hang on. If you've really gotta go, would you mind if I asked you something right quick? Just what is it that you do with all this food? The guys in back and I have this little bet going on, and to be honest with you, I just can't figure it out. Are you like some kind of supermodel in disguise, and just projectile vomit it out later on when it's convenient?"

"No," she shook her head. "But I knew a woman once who could do that. You wouldn't have wanted to take her to a party either, though. She was a pretty scary lady, and had a bad skin condition. Plus, she liked to eat babies."

"I don't know," he grinned. "I might. You just described about half the girls who will be there. Minus the whole baby-eating cannibalism thing, I mean. Some of the girls at my high school have really bad skin conditions. It'd be nice to see someone show up with clear skin for a change."

Mack held the door open for her, and Dani nodded. "I doubt I would fit in at a high school party," she said, walking away. "But thanks for the offer."

"Hey," he called out. "Can you at least tell me your name?"

Dani paused about halfway through a step, and turned around. "Dani," she said over the street noise. "It's Dani. With an _'I'_."

"Okay... Dani, what?"

"I don't... have a last name."

Mack looked at her. "As in a 'I'm stuck in the eighties' kind of way?"

Dani hung her head. "In a very weird way. Just call me Dani."

"Sam," he said, grinning ear to ear. "Sam Carpenter. It's nice to finally meet you."

"You too," she said, nodding farewell. "Bye." Sam waited there, watching her go the whole time with a mesmerized expression on his face.

"Dani," he repeated. "Just Dani, huh?"

"Oi, Sam!" Mr. Graves called out. "You trying to air condition all the drunks out there, or what?"

"Sorry, Mr. Graves!" he said, letting the door shut. As it came to, the cel phone in his pocket went off. Sam groaned and flipped it out quickly to read the text message layed out on the screen. It was a priority one, of course.

'Move in on Class M tonight. Can U get off work early?'

Sam sighed, and typed in his response. It was just as well that she'd turned him down, after all.

'Affirmative.'

Sam started to put his phone away and go back to work, but it went off again; it was from Lily, of course.

'Sorry about U missing party. Did U ask teh girl that comes 2 Grill alot 2 go wit U?'

'No. Got 2 go now. Busy at work. C U tonite.'

'KK. Later then.'

Sam put his phone up and headed for the grill. Mr. Graves was watching him the whole time with a disapproving glare in his eye, but Sam knew it was only because he'd never been able to get the voice mail on his phone to work. The man hated cellular phones witha passion, but his wife insisted he carry one. The woman was obsessed with keeping an eye on him. Now that was a woman who would make one scary ghost if she ever came back as one.

"At least there are _some_ normal girls out there," he mused, flipping a burger high in the air. "Nice to know not all of them just disappear on you!"

* * * * *

Dani Phantom cut through the empty sky looking down on the streets below for any kind of danger. This part of the city was usually visited only by those like her, who had nowhere else to go. Anyone else might have been repulsed by it, but she'd come to view it at her own private corner of the world. That was why she'd gone out on patrol tonight. Dani had come to rely on her powers sparingly in the past. The thought that her DNA could one day unravel again and reduce her to a pile of green goop was still a possibility, however faint. She had been using her ghost powers more and more frequently here recently, though, and there was no sign of any degeneration. Still, she would've had to use her powers anyway to stop the Alley Cat gang of bikers. There was no getting around that.

And speaking of the devil, a roar of engines filled the air around her. Dani scanned the ground for the Alley Cats, but didn't see them. A bad feeling built up in her stomach as she looked back over her shoulder, and gulped.

"Oh, boy!"

Who knew they could do THAT!? Dani swerved out of the way just in the nick of time as no less than seven bikes flew down out from the clouds at her head. The Alley Cats roared with laughter as they gave chase, following her down to the streets below. Dani Phantom was ducking and weaving through the lamp posts as fast as she could, avoiding the blasts fired at her, but the Alley Cats were gaining on her fast. Thinking quickly, she dove down a dark, narrow side street and made herself intangible just as one of the Cats followed after her.

He was just about to blast her, when there was this awful of grinding metal in the air. Dani laughed victoriously and zipped through the wall she was already partially phased into as the Cat screamed in pain. No one knew these streets like she did, and it was a good thing this road got so unbelieveably narrow towards the end.

"Okay, Dani," she said to herself. "So, their bikes can fly. You've faced worse than that. You've faced much worse than that."

Another green blast just barely missed her head. "Then again," she muttered, turning around.

It was time to fight back. Enough of these silly chase games. Dani raised her arms as the second Cat came in close. This one had a female cat on board behind him who leered down at her with a forked tongue running between some nasty fangs.

"Here, kitty! Kitty! Kitty!" Dani cried out, opening fire with her ecto-blasts.

Beams of ectoplasm flew out from both palms and blew the bike right out from under them. Like her 'cousin', Dani's powers had changed a great deal as she aged. Her ecto blasts were red, and came out shaped like liquid orbs. Fearing her powers would fail her someday, Dani had experimented with using them in new ways. This had lead to her evolving them over time, though they still packed quite the punch. Both Cats howled in the night as they fell right towards her. Dani was ready for them, though, and opened up with a series of punches and kicks that knocked each of them to the ground in seconds.

Flakes of hair drifted down out of the air onto her. Dani looked around at the thin coat of fur now clinging to her body and scowled. "Oh, great!" she moaned, letting it fall through her. "Shedding season!"

The respite was cut short as yet another blast came at her. Dani Phantom threw up a red ribbon ghost shield in front of her to deflect the blasts closest to her, then molded the energy into more ecto blasts. This guy was actually a little bit better driver, and managed to steer clear of them. Dani thought for a moment, then decided to just go back to tried and true methods. Diving into the ground, she waited and counted by the roar of the engine overhead.

"Hey! Where'd you go!?" the werecat ghost cried out.

"Right... here!" she screamed, coming up blasting.

The cat meowed in fright and confusion as he was thrown with his bike a good mile in the air. Dani Phantom had seized his bike in mid-air from behind, using her ectoplasm to extend her reach. Dani watched with some satisfaction as he fell to the ground a number of rooftops away, then flung the bike away. The giant red hand she'd formed from her power shrunk down and formed back into a soft magenta glow that coated her hands.

"That's three down," she counted off. "Now, where are the rest of this little tricycle gang?"

"Right behind you, chakita. Now turn around real slow, and keep your hands where we can see 'em!"

Dani did, and found herself fighting back the urge to laugh. The guy staring her down was obviously the Alley Cat leader, but he...

"You've been messin' around in our territory, little lady. All those no-good flesh bags you give food out to are startin' to get weird ideas in their heads now. Some of 'em are even threatenin' to leave all this behind. Now, you gotta ask yourself this one question..."

"Yes."

The Alpha Cat looked at her. "Wha?"

"I said, yes," she repeated, cheekily.

"Yes, what?!"

"Yes, to your question."

"But I haven't even asked you yet!"

"I already know how this goes. And before we get to the big fight scene, let me just say that you look absolutely ridiculous. I mean, old worn leather and metal chains with a flaming cat skull for a head? Come on, what did you do? Rip your look off from an old comic book?"

"Shut up!" he snapped, as several Cats behind him started snickering.

"Getting back to what we were talking about," she said, shaking her head as they surrounded her. "Yes, I am feeling lucky. Very, very lucky actually!"

"Get her!"

Taking a deep breath, Dani gathered together all the energy pent up inside her body and let it loose at once. A spectacular blast of crimson ecto-energy exploded outward in all directions, consuming the Cats in it's brilliance. The resulting explosion sent them falling to earth, with Dani Phantom levitating gingerly to the ground after them. Looking around at the scattered remains of the Alley Cats, Dani gave her handiwork a nod of satisfaction.

"I guess cats really are bad luck, huh?"

"Very bad luck," someone behind her called out. "But only for you!"

Before Dani Phantom could turn around, a blast from some kind of green ray caught her off guard, sending her to the ground in a daze. Thinking that there were more Alley Cats than she'd counted initially, Dani shifted invisible and hurled herself at her attacker. Instead of an Alley Cat, however, it was a young girl.

A girl dressed up in a uniform that made her seem like a reject from a Japanese television show.

She was holding a long staff that glowed the same green color in certain places. As Dani flew in close, she spun around expertly and swung one end of it right into Dani's face. The metal connected painfully, and sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Ow! Oomph!" she mumbled through a mouthful of concrete gravel. "Patooie! Hey, how'd you do that? No one should be able to see me..."

"Ecto-vision goggles built into my helmet," the girl replied, pointing at her visor. "Standard issue. Not that you'll be around long enough for it to matter!"

Dani saw the attack coming this time around, and blocked the staff just before it connected with her face again. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Why are you doing this?"

"What do you care?" she snapped, leaping backwards. "It's time for you to go back where you belong, ghost!"

"Oh, yeah?" quipped Dani bravely, as she took to the skies. "And where might that be?"

"The Ghost Zone," a voice whispered delicately nearby.

Something prickled on the back of her neck. Dani couldn't describe what made her move the way she did, but a second too late would have left her without a head. Whirling around on her second foe, she spotted the tip of her ponytail floating to the ground, changing from white to black as it did. A katana sword was clutched in the hands of a boy dressed much the same way as the girl was.

This one wasted no time in attacking her, and made several strikes at her body. Something about the way he held himself make Dani think she would be able to dodge his strike easily, but when he swung the blade at her, it was with startling precision. Only through a combination of supernatural reflexes and luck was Dani able to avoid him. The last one struck home, however, and left a small cut on the side of her cheek.

"Who are you people?" she cried out, angrily, as the cut bled green. "What do you want from me? Did Vlad send you?"

"Who's Vlad?" a third voice replied.

Dani didn't have time to see this one. The blast that hit her backside was at least three times as powerful as the one before. Whoever these people were, they were armed to the teeth, and obviously knew what they were doing. All this would make much more sense once she had picked herself up off from the ground, and the world stopped spinning so fast. And once she didn't feel the need to throw up anymore, too.

Dani felt something ripple through her body as she tumbled into the shadows behind a large trash bin. There was a flash, and she suddenly felt unbeliveably exposed. That sensation only went through her on one occasion: when she was shifting from one form to the next. She had just lost her ghost form in front of three deadly ghost hunters. She was done for!

"Sam, she's down," Lily called through the communicator in her helmet. "Take the shot."

Sam was looking through his sniper scope on the rooftop, and froze. Something was very wrong.

"Sam, do you copy?" Lily said again, louder. "She's down, Sam. Take the shot before she has the chance to recover. This is no time for you to have one of your little moments of philosophical doubt! Take the shot!"

"Lily, look at her!" he bit back. "There's something wrong down there. Michael, I need a scan of her body, fast."

"Roger that," he complied at once. "The bio-energy scan readings are registering her as... human?"

"That's what I thought," he said, lowering his gun.

"What?!" Lily burst out. "But that's..."

"Impossible, illogical, and at least one other _'I' _word I am currently too flabbergasted to come up with," said Michael, nodding. "But the equipment isn't wrong. I've run the scan twice now, and it keeps saying the same thing. Somehow, the Class M is a human."

"Dude," Sam snorted. "Did you just use the word 'flabbergasted' in a sentence? No wonder that chick in fifth period study hall won't talk to you!"

"This is serious, you two!" Lily snapped again. "What... what are we going to do? I've never heard of a ghost that can take human form before."

"Neither have I," Michael agreed. "What do you suppose created such a phenomenon?"

"Hey, you two down there are the brains," said Sam, throwing his hands up. "I'm just the guy with a really big gun who loves to use it."

"In other words, completely useless right now." Lily was glaring up towards him as she said this, and didn't notice when Dani managed to finally stand up on her two feet. Michael spotted her just in time, but it was still too late.

"Lily!" he cried out, pointing.

"I don't know who you guys are," said Dani Phantom, switching back before walking out from behind the trash bin. "But I don't go down without a fight."

"Sam, use the Specter Net! Now!"

Lily jumped out of the way just as Dani closed in on them. Sam fired the net from overhead just as Michael cornered her. The net came at both of them at the same time, but Michael wasn't able to jump out of the way soon enough. Dani found herself pinned to the ground with him on top of her, and his hands caught in some very embarassing places.

"Hey, stop touching me there!" Dani scowled. "I mean it! Get off of me!"

"I'm... sorry," he gasped. "My sincerest... apologies. Ow, hey! That's off limits!"

"GET OFF!"

"Nice going, Sam," Lily said, shaking her head in contempt.

"At least the Specter Net worked for once," he said, coming down to meet her. "And, we caught the Class M."

"Along with Michael, and any shredded remains of our dignity," she added. "I feel so relieved right now. Would somebody mind explaining to me how a Class M ghost can shift back and forth between human and spectral forms?"

"You got me," he shrugged. "I just noticed it through the scope when I was up on the roof. You think she might still be alive somehow?"

"If she's a ghost, then she can't be alive."

"Would you two stop talking about me like I'm not even here?" Dani snapped. "And get me out of this thing! Why can't I phase through it?"

"It's made out of a combination of positively charged ectoplasmic molecules and latex," Michael explained, raising up off her slightly. "The Professor designed it. And I don't much care for being spoken to as if I weren't here, either."

"How were you able to take human form?" Lily demanded, lording over her. "There's no way a ghost should be able to do that."

"If you cooperate with us," Michael added. "I'm sure we can make things painless for you. You could be sent back to the Ghost Zone to live your un-life in peace, once our tests are finished, of course."

Dani looked from one to the next. "What are you people talking about? I've never set one foot in the Ghost Zone before."

"All spectral entities come from the Ghost Zone," Lily countered. "The Professor said as much."

"The Professor," Dani repeated. "Of course. So, you three are ghost hunting superheroes with a leader who calls himself the Professor. Just how many bad comic knockoffs am I going to run into tonight? Can't anybody come up with anything original anymore?"

"Speak for yourself," Lily replied. "Sam, get the Polter-Vac. We're going to take you back to the lab and fight out just exactly what you are."

"No thanks," Dani sneered at her. "I've got other plans for the evening. Thanks for the good time, though."

"It's impossible for you to phase through," Michael said calmly, his eyes closed. "No amount of force can penetrate the positive ectoplasm fused with the latex matrix. You might as well just..."

Michael opened his eyes at the silence and looked around. "She's gone!"

"What?!" Lily exclaimed, whirling back around to find him still under the Spectral Net, now alone. "She can't be gone. How could she get out of there with you sitting right next to her?"

"I... had my eyes closed?" he answered sheepishly.

Dani's head suddenly popped up out of the ground, intangible. "You mean, it never occured to any of you that I could just phase through the ground?!"

Once she was gone, Sam looked around at his two teammates. "Well," he offered. "At least now we know why the Specter Net never worked before."

* * * * *

Dani sat her room, looking over the bike parts scattered about haphazzardly and frowned. She didn't have much in the way of mechanical skills, but the magazines dug out from the trash had seemed pretty self-explainatory. In the beginning, she was able to figure out enough to get some of it put back together. A few of the parts were beyond salvagable, though. She still wasn't quite sure what had made her go back and get it after escaping those three. The was no need for her to own a bike when she could fly.

Dani supposed it was just because the bike was something she might be able to sell, once she got it working, of course. That, and the fact it was cool.

The bottom line was, though, she didn't know enough to fix it on her own. There were probably a few local bums who could help her, but bringing them here was out of the question. One of the things that made this place so secure was the fact that no one knew about it. Plus, bringing anyone in would require her to use her powers in front of them, which was equally out of the question. Finding someplace else to store the bike, then getting someone's help repairing it was her best bet.

She needed parts for it to work, though. That would mean more stealing, unless she could find what she needed from a junkyard. That was always a possibility, but she still didn't know exactly what to look for. Dani sighed, and stood up from the floor. She was just going to have to find someone to help her; the best time would be when she brought food to the locals tomorrow. At least one of them would be willing to lend a hand, provided she could get them something they needed. For now, she needed to go on her nightly patrol. The Alley Cats would probably be out again. Especially after what she'd pulled on them the night before.

Guys like that never did know when to quit.

Dani shifted forms and flew right through the wall, taking to the night air at once. She soared for a moment over the city skyline just to admire the view and scout for any trouble. Things seemed quiet for the moment, which made her feel uneasy. Dani decided to go in for a closer look, and drifted down through some of the back alleys and narrow streets that were rarely used in Silent Hollow. A couple of homeless people waved up at her as she flew past. People were starting to remember her more now. She was getting a reputation for being the law and order in this section of the city. That had it's pros and cons, but at least the locals didn't take one look at her and run away screaming. That had been getting a little old for awhile now.

She was just starting to think it would be a slow night, when off in the distance, she heard a cry for help. Picking up speed, Dani put the pedal to the metal and zipped around a corner still high up in the air. A woman wrapped in rags was backed up against a wall before two very wicked-looking Alley Cats. Dani landed on the ground, shifting her tail back into a pair of legs as she did, and called out.

"Bad kitty!" she scolded, fearlessly. "Don't tell me you've lost your mittens again!"

Both Cats turned around grinning and revealed a pair of claws, each with ten inch nails on them.

Dani gulped. "Those aren't mittens, are they?"

Dani leaped high in the air as they both came at her. Grabbing a handful of fur, she slammed their heads into one another before leap frogging over their backsides. "Nope," she noted, whirling around to face them. "Definitely not mittens!"

Dani flew straight into one as he leaped forward to face her, knocking him right into a wall. The second wasted several movements trying to attack her head on with his claws, but Dani stayed one step ahead by moving out of the way. One lucky punch pushed her up against the alley corner, though, and she realized with a jolt that he had her trapped.

"No, don't!" she pleaded, as he bore down on her.

The Cat leered, pausing for just a second. That was all Dani needed, and grinned triumphantly as she raised both hands and blasted him.

"Psyche!"

Both Cats stared at one another for a moment, then took off down towards the mouth of the alley, retreating. Dani watched them go, chuckling to herself, then turned to check on the young woman.

"It's okay," she said, softly. "It's alright now. I promise you I won't bite. You should probably get out of here, though, just in case those two decide to come back. What were they after you for, anyway?"

The woman kept her hood pulled forward, but turned slightly to face her. "They... were looking for someone. They said that I should... tell everyone I knew about who they were trying to find."

"Who was it?" she pressed, half-guessing the answer already.

"Someone called... the Specter Detectors," she whispered, fearfully.

"Who?" Dani was suddenly very confused. "Did you say, 'the Specter Detectors?'"

The woman nodded. "The Specter Detectors," she repeated. "And a girl... called Dani Phantom."

"Dani Phantom I know all about. You're looking at her, actually." Dani struck a pose. "But as far as the Specter Detectors go, I've never heard of them."

"You're... Dani Phantom?" she pressed. "Are you really?"

"Yup! It's the price of fame, I guess. Everyone knows who you are."

"I didn't. I was sent to find a Dani Phantom, but I didn't know if that was you or not. Thank you for telling me that, though."

"Sure," Dani said. "No problem. Only, what were you looking for me for?"

"I was sent to find you, and now... you've made this so much easier!"

Dani saw a flash of something metal in the dim light of the alley, but it didn't register with her fast enough. The woman suddenly moved quickly, impossibly quick, and a current of blue energy crackled all around her. Dani felt it shoot through her like a million ants crawling on her skin, and suddenly she couldn't move.

The woman was standing over her. She had removed the cowl keeping her face obscured in the shadows, and Dani was finally able to get a good look at her. It was one of the Alley Cats, though not one she recognized. The she-cat was obviously a ghost, but also somehow part machine. Dani had never seen anything like it, but her brain was too muddled at the moment to fully process this fact.

"I have her," the she-cat cyborg said, speaking into some kind of communicator on her arm. "We're on the east side of the river, near the docks. If you get here quickly, there'll still be enough of her left to answer any questions you have. Like, where your bike is, for starters."

Dani felt herself being lifted up and thrown across the woman's shoulders. She was very strong in spite of her lithle body. A few minutes later, the sound of motorcycles filled the air. Dani was swung around and thrown recklessly across the back of one of the bikes that pulled up next to her. She still couldn't move, and by now had begun to drift in and out of consciousness. Whatever weapon the she-cat had shocked her with, it packed quite the wallop.

By the time her head finally cleared and she could open her eyes without feeling sick, Dani didn't recognize where she was. She'd been strung up by her arms in mid-air with a pair of chains that glowed an eerie color of green. Her powers wouldn't let her faze through them, and she still didn't have enough strength left to break free. Someone had obviously done their homework. The sound of the Alley Cats arguing not far away confirmed them, so she stopped struggling against her bonds for a moment to listen in.

"The Hexpurgate paid us good money to get rid of the bums in this area. Once she's out of the way, the only thing left will be those ratbag Specter Detectors!"

"Think they'll really come for the girl, though? She's a ghost, just like us." A couple of them grunted in affirmation. "Seems like they'll wanna send her back to the Ghost Zone right along with us."

"Shut your fang hole, Dirt! I know what I'm doing. They're both ghost hunters, so they'll come looking for each other. We snag two birds with one stone, then finish the job given to us. After that, these streets'll be ours once more!"

"You sure the Hexpurgate will come through for us, though? They didn't sound too happy the last time you brought 'em in here, Fang."

"You got something to say to me, Dirt? Wanna try an' make a play for the big seat finally?"

"We both know the only reason you ride top dog in this outfit is because of Calico. She's the muscle behind all of your talk. Without her, you won't ever get your bike back, either!"

Dani listened carefully, ready for a chance to make her move. It sounded like these cats couldn't keep it together long enough to do anything about her. The reason why they'd been tearing around the area lately was becoming all too clear, though. It'd be nice to know more about who and what they were talking about, but it didn't look like she'd have the time. Dani had spent way too much time surviving to give in now. This was probably going to hurt, too, but she didn't see any other way. The manacles were keeping her from becoming intangible and escaping still. It looked like intangible-proof restraints were coming into style this season. She should write to a local fashion magazine and give them a heads-up.

Once she had blasted her way free, that is.

The chains looked just like ordinary chains, even if they were imbuned with a mysterious property. She should've been able to break them with ease, but her strength hadn't fully returned. The only other recourse was to use her Ecto-blasts to blow them off her wrists. This, of course, would be followed by intense agony, but it still was a better choice than hanging around here all night. Before she had built up her courage, however, something very strange happened. Actually, several things one after the other happened, starting with the heavy metal door across from her being blow right off it's hinges.

Three very familiar figures came flying through the resulting smoke. The biggest one carried a very large gun, and had it aimed right for the Cats. "Avon calling!" he cried out, cheerfully.

"Defense formation Beta," the girl screamed, brandishing her staff. "Remember, no humans are to be harmed!"

"I'll get the girl," the big one said, and lowered his very large weapon at her.

Dani had just enough time to realize he was going to take her head off with that thing, and then he fired. Embarassment would hit her later on when she realized that she'd flinched out of pure reflex. All that happened, however, was the chain being snapped in two and her falling to the hard floor. Picking herself up, Dani realized for the first time that she'd gone back to her human form at some point.

"This way!" the fellow said, taking her by the shoulder. "Follow me, and keep close."

Not one to argue with someone while they were holding massive ghost-hunting weaponry, Dani did as he asked and took cover with him behind a set of crates far off to the side near the wall. Her mystery man then took aim and began laying cover fire for his two friends, who were taking out the Cats with relative ease.

"Not that I'm complaining about the save and all," she said. "But just exactly who are you guys?"

"We're the Specter Detectors," he replied, looking her way. "You've probably heard of us before."

Dani shook her head. "No, sorry. Don't think so."

"Really?" He glanced at her for a little longer this time. "Are you sure?"

Dani held up her wrists and nodded. "Other than a strange woman in an alley that turned out to be a psycho ghost catwoman, nope! Listen, is there any way you can get these off me? They're starting to chafe."

Holding up a finger, he took a few more shots out into the melee, then pulled a glowing green combat knife from his boot. "We really need to get a publicist," he grumbled. "Hold very still."

Not wanting to argue with him anymore now than before when he was just holding a big gun, Dani kept herself perfectly still and waited while he took careful aim. A second later, he brought the knife down and cut cleanly through the chains, which clattered to the concrete noiselessly over the battle din.

"We've got this," he told her, picking his gun up again. "Find the nearest exit and get yourself out of here, Dani."

Dani blinked. "Wait, what did you just call me?"

"Nothing!" the stranger said, quickly.

"You knew my name," she stated.

"No, I didn't! I just... guessed. Honest!"

Dani glared at him, then flinched as the crate next to her exploded. "Get down!" he ordered, yanking her to the floor. "Look, it's really important that you leave. This is no place for a civilian."

Dani stared at him for a second, then nodded. Standing up, she checked to make sure the coast was clear, and broke into a run. "Go!" he called out, after her. "I'll cover you!"

Dani made tracks for a nearby door. Several blasts blew apart the concrete near her feet, and Dani quickly turned on the steam. Reaching the door, she flung it open and jumped sideways to her right just as more blasts came flying out the door after her. Glowering, she held her arms parallel from one another and summoned the change. In a flash, her body shifted to it's ghost form. Her clothes went to the familiar white and black that she'd been born with, and her hair fell to a pale silver-white color. She was Dani Phantom.

"I think it's time I took up tennis as a hobby," she grinned. "And the first thing any good tennis player needs for a racket is... catgut!"

Dani took to the skies and rose up to the rooftop. Before she could phase through the ceiling and join the battle below, a familiar-looking biker with a flaming cat skull and chains rose up in front of her. The one she guessed was called Fang snarled at her, bearing his claws as he made a swipe for her throat.

"I don't care what the Hexpurgate wants or says," he snarled. "I want my bike back now, girly!"

"Finders keepers," she taunted, keeping clear of his claws. "How about I trade it for some nice, strong catnip instead?"

"No sale!" he roared, slamming his claw down on the roof, missing her by a hairsbreath.

"Really? I know this guy who knows a chick that lives on the corner of Whiskey Avenue and St. Anns Street. He can get you some real quality stuff. A minute of sniffing his stash and you'll forget all about your bike, and just about everything else as well!"

"I said, NO!" Fang made another attempt at her, but missed. "I want my bike!"

"I could get used to having a motorcycle. Granted, I still haven't quite figured out how to put it back together just yet."

Fang froze. "What have you done with my bike?!"

"Hey, don't blame me," she replied, holding her hands up. "You're the one who left it in the street in that condition. It's not my fault you leave your cat toys lying around where anybody can walk up and snatch them."

"Give... Me... My... BIKE!"

"No," Dani said, and fired a blast right in front of Fang's path. Fang didn't spot it in time, and was plunged two stories below to the ground where the Specter Detectors were wrapping up their battle with the rest of the Alley Cats. Dani shifted herself invisible so she could watch the rest of the fun. All three turned around at the same time to watch him land right behind them, then looked up to the ceiling where he'd fallen from. Remembering that these guys could see through a ghost's invisibility, she jerked away just in time, peeking only when it sounded like the coast was clear.

The Specter Detectors had some kind of weird looking device that reminded Dani of a hand-held vacuum. One by one, the katana-wielding Specter Detector sucked up every single werecat ghost into it. Once they were contained, he put the vacuum away and, nodding in a satisfied sort of way, looked around at the others.

"Mission accomplished," he said. "Any sign of the Class M?"

"No," the guy carrying the big gun said quickly, shifting it to lay by his side. "I searched for her when we first made our way in here, but apparently she wasn't with this cache of ghosts."

"Strange," the girl said. "We followed her ecto signature to this place..."

"What about the girl?" said the male holding the vacuum. "The one they had captured. Did she get away safely?"

"Affirmative," the other one nodded. "I thought it was better to get her out of here before she had the chance to ask many questions."

"Good call," the girl agreed. "Now, let's get these ghosts back to the Professor. We'll have to give a complete report before we turn in for the night."

"Too bad," the one with the Polter-Vac said, posing a few times with his katana. "I thought she was cute."

"That reminds me," said the one with the big gun as they made their way for the door. "Did either of us come up with an idea of what we're going to say to our parents? Mine have been asking questions for awhile now about where I go at night."

"Mine never ask," said the other male, cheerfully. "I guess I'm just lucky that way. As long as I say out of trouble, they don't care."

"Hunting ghosts isn't 'trouble' by their definition?" the girl asked, incredulously.

"You guessed it," he nodded.

_Specter Detectors, huh_? Dani thought, raising back up. _I guess I'll have to watch out for these guys from now on. Oh, well! At least they aren't anything I can't handle._

* * * * *

"So, am I to understand that's all you have to say for yourself, Miss Calico?"

Calico looked up at her from filing her nails, and nodded. "The halfa that's been roaming around freely for the past several months in MY city remains at large. There are currently three new pests catching ghosts at their own discretion without my say-so, and I still do not have control of that area of the city! Is that what you're telling me?"

Calico shook her head and stood. "You asked me to infiltrate the Alley Cats so I could be your eyes and ears. You never said what I should do if the situation went Ground Zero in the space of a few seconds. I thought using them was a bad idea from the get-go."

"Yes," her boss said, standing up. "But thinking was never a part of your job description now, was it?"

Calico glared at the man standing in front of her, but didn't reply. "Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Miss Calico," he said, glaring hard at her. "My organization and I invested a lot of hard-earned money into dragging your misbegotten essence from the Ghost Zone ether and equiping it with some of the latest and most advanced instruments in ectoplasmic technology. I, for one, would like to see at least some of it pay off."

"Zeitgeist..." she started, but the man quickly cut her off.

"No excuses this time, Calico," he said, waving a finger. "Just promise me you'll do better. Promise me, because the next time, there will be no reason for you to make excuses. The next time, I'll simply take the liberty of removing what the Hexpurgate gave to you. Is that clear?"

For the first time, there was real fear in Calico's eyes. "Yes, Zeitgeist... sir! I understand."

Zeitgeist turned to face the expanse of city behind him through the open office window. "Plasmius and I had such great plans for this city, don't you know? We were going to do such amazing things with our organization. And then..."

Zeitgeist lowered his voice to a bare whisper. "And then... he was taken away from me. Those awful people took him away, and now he's being held somewhere far from me. In a place that I, regretably, cannot reach just yet. Soon, though..."

"Why are you telling me this?" Calico broke in.

Zeitgeist whirled around to stare with venom in his eyes. "Silence!" he snarled. "Get out of here while I still feel like letting you live. Or, at least, what passes for living in your case!"

Zeitgeist waited until Calico had left the room before gazing longingly through the window again. "Just be patient, Vlad. Some day, you'll be by my side once again. And then, this whole town and every human and ghost alike will be completely under our control. Right at our feet where they belong!"


	2. Episode 2 Eat Your Poison, Dear

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 2

Eat Your Poison, Dear

_"A Recipe for Disaster!"_

by Ri-kun

"I just don't get something."

"What?" Sam asked, turning halfway to face Lucy as his gun jammed for the second time that night. "Dammit! My gun needs to be recalibrated again. Hold 'em off till I get this fixed."

"What, again?" said Lucy, taking point as several poltergeists swooped down low over their heads. "Make it quick. Michael, do you have time to provide cover fire?"

"Negative," he said, swinging his sword. "There are too many of them."

"It's okay!" Sam assured them, setting his gun down on the plywood floor. "This won't take long. Anyway, what were you saying before, Lucy?"

"Oh, yeah. What I don't get is, we've gone through this whole section of the docks with the white glove treatment, but there hasn't been a single trace of that Class M we were tracking. And it's been, what? A week, since we traced it to that warehouse where those Alley Cats were hiding out?"

Sam kept his head low as he continued to work. "Sam!" Lucy shouted. "Do you copy?"

"Yes, my bad!" he replied softly, getting to his feet. "There's so much backwater ectoplasm in the air, I think it's jamming my com link a little. I said that you're right, it is pretty weird."

The two rejoined Michael, who was busy spinning his sword around with expert precision, and took their positions. "Sorry that took so long," he apologized.

"No need," he boasted calmly, striking one poltergeist right between the eyes. It split clean in two and drifted to the floor. "I have the situation well in hand, though you might want to ready the Polter-Vac for mass-capture mode."

"Roger," Lucy nodded, and pulled out the small, portable capture unit. "Changing settings for half a minute. That should be enough time to round these guys up."

"Agreed," said Michael. "Position Delta Omega?"

"We did that one last week," Sam cut in. "And I wound up missing all the action. How about position Theta Gamma? I look real cool in that one."

"Sam, everytime we've used that position, Michael and I wind up getting captured and you have to come rescue us!"

Sam grinned underneath his helmet. "That's the reason why I look so cool in it."

Lucy groaned and shook her head. "Beta Kappa, people. And make it quick, because I've still got that term paper to finish."

"You mean you haven't even started on it?"

"Now!"

Sam knelt down and fired off a group of shots that send the poltergeists scattering in all directions. As they did, Lucy and Michael each began hacking and battling the stray ones that tried to escape, sending the herd right back to the center of the room. A few stragglers attempted to break free, but Sam took care of them with a few shots. With his free hand, he sent the Polter-Vac sliding along the floor to stop directly underneath them. The light flashed green, and a brilliant light enveloped the room.

"Take cover!" Lucy cried.

Slowly, the light shrank away. A distinct smell of ozone was left in the room; that was all that remained of the swarm of ghosts that'd been there just moments before. Sam walked over to the Polter-Vac and picked it up.

"Careful," he warned, tossing it over to Lucy. "It's hot!"

"Ouch, no kidding!" she said, bouncing the dust buster from hand to hand as it cooled.

"Need I remind both of you that this is a very delicate and expensive piece of equipment?" Michael said, snatching it from her hands. "Just leave it on the floor for a second. You don't want me to tell the Professor that you've been playing Hacky Sack with one of her inventions again, do you?"

"Squealer," Lucy hissed, looking away from him. "And you don't need to remind us about that. It looked innocent enough!"

Michael shook his head, grinning. "Four months of the Professor's research and investments goes down the drain in five minutes because of you two. I still don't understand how either of you could possibly mistake a compressed techno-organic ectogrowth for a..."

"We get the idea, Michael," she interrupted, picking the Polter-Vac up again. "Thank you. This thing's cooled off enough, anyway. Let's get out of here so I can go home and finish writing that stupid paper."

"What's your thesis going to be?" Michael inquired as they walked from the spooky building.

"I... haven't picked one yet," she admitted, shutting the door behind them. "We've been so busy catching ghosts lately that I'm really behind on my homework. I've got mostly everything I need down, but writing it will probably take all night. I'm going to fall asleep in World History again, I just know it."

"Remember what Mr. Klemmins did the last time?" Sam laughed. "I never knew a piece of chalk could reach escape velocity like that so quickly."

"Neither did I," Michael admitted. "And people think teenagers our age never learn anything through the school system anymore."

"Yeah!"

"Shut it, you two!" Lucy snapped, climbing up on the Specter Sled. "I'd still love to know when we're going to find this 'mysterious cargo' the Professor keeps talking about. Any ideas on what this idol is supposed to be?"

"Negative," Michael replied, getting on after her. "But the Professor made it out to be very dangerous. I'm guessing that's why she keeps having us sweep the dock regions. If it came into Silent Hollow, chances are someone stashed it in one of these warehouses."

"I just hope that isn't why we've been catching so many ghosts here recently." Lucy looked down on the ground. "You coming, Sam?"

Sam was still standing on the ground a few feet away. "Go on without me," he waved, backing up a little. "I think I'll walk home. After a fight like that, I need to work some of this adrenaline out of my system before going to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Lucy pressed, looking closely at him. "You know there's room for three. The Professor designed this sled specifically to carry us."

"This isn't the best of neighborhoods," Michael warned. "Are you certain you'll be alright?"

Sam pointed to his black armored uniform. "I'm wearing form-fitting, bullet-proof battle armor made from condensed ectoplasmic molecules, and carrying a forty-eight pound calibre rifle that shoots hard-point energy bolts at .7 seconds a round. We fight monsters on a semi-nightly basis, guys. I think I can take care of myself!"

Neither one of them moved. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "You guys go on. I just need to clear my head a little. See you tomorrow at school, okay?"

Lucy sighed and climbed on board the Specter Sled with Michael. "He's still messed up in the head over that girl who comes into the Grill every other afternoon with an order big enough to feed a football team," Michael noted quietly. "Guess he must be in love."

"He is not," Lucy protested. "Sam likes to go off on his own every so often. It's just how he is."

"You sound totally convinced," Michael teased, gunning the Sled's engine. "I could always just leave you here with him. It would give you a chance to finally have an honest conversation."

"Term paper, remember?" she reminded him, glaring uncomfortably. "Now quit stalling and gun it."

Michael did so, shaking his head and making a 'tsk-ing' sound as they rode off. "Chosing homework over confessing your feelings. No wonder you can't hold a boyfriend!"

Sam listened long after the Specter Sled had roared off out of sight. He didn't have any intention of going home just yet. Though it was getting late, and he would be uber-tired all through school tomorrow, there was still something important he had to do. Pulling out his Ecto-Scanner, he made a couple of adjustments on it, then began walking out of the docks back towards the slums of Silent Hollow. Several blips showed up on the screen, but none of them registered high enough for what he was looking for. After an hour of searching, he finally put the device away and began the long walk home.

He'd forgotten once more to bring spare change with him for a taxi cab home. At least he was armed well enough in case some of the locals in this area decided to step in front of him and say hello. Looking back on the neighborhood he'd just left, Sam let out a long, hard sigh.

"Where are you?" he whispered. "Class M."

* * * * *

Twigs let out a yelp and ducked as one of the young street punks swung a bat right for his head. At the same time, a bolt of red energy exploded down from the sky and blasted the end of it clean off. The result was that the punker spun around helplessly for several seconds as the momentum of his swing combined with the force of the blast caused him to fall dizzily to the ground on his butt. The other two looked up flabbergasted as a streak of white and black flew down at them, knocking them aside with a couple of punches and kicks.

"I'm sorry I was so late, Twigs!" Dani Phantom said, standing in front of him. "But the first two hot dog stands I found were all out of pickled relish. I hope I didn't make you wait too long?"

"Not at all," the skinny old man named Twigs said, grinning. "In fact, you're timings perfect!"

Twigs took the hot dogs from Dani's hands as she took off to the air once more, her feet shifting to a ghost trail. As she made quick work of the goons that'd spent the morning harassing him, he chowed down on his lunch with a contented grin plastered to his face. One stray blast nearly took his head off, but Twigs just waved Dani on when she whirled around to apologize.

"Sorry about that, Twigs," she said, setting back down in front of him. Behind her, the punks all fell to the asphalt on their faces with a loud, singular crash. "How was the hot dog?"

"Par excellance!" he saluted. "As usual. How have you been, my dear girl? Keeping out of trouble, I hope."

"Who, me?" she grinned, giving the elder man a two-finger wave. "Trouble? Never!"

"As I am sure," he replied, shrewdly. "Now, I hope that you haven't spent so much time worrying about us humble streetfolk that you've neglected your own personal needs again? The last batch of food was a thoughtful gift, but you must take better care of your own person."

Twigs caught the look on Dani's face, and frowned disapprovingly. "I am very serious, child. The streets and back alleys of Silent Hollow are no place for a frail young woman such as yourself."

"Frail!?" Dani griped, glaring. "I've blasted grown men half your age to Amity Park and back for less than that."

"I have no doubts towards your ability to take care of yourself. But you must understand what I mean, dear. We folk here have nowhere else to go. The streets have become our lively hood. They take as much as they give to the people who stray here, sometimes to the point that people have nothing left in them. I would not wish such a fate upon my most hated foe, much less someone so young."

"Are you sure?" she replied darkly.

"That is precisely what I mean!" he countered. "You are far too young to be seeing the things you have thus far. This is no life for anyone, but you dear Danielle have a gift for seeing the better in others. Even, I fear, in those who are too far gone to save. Wouldn't you reconsider leaving us for something better?"

"I like it here," she insisted, looking the other way. "I have something better than other kids have. I have my freedom!"

"Freedom is very seldom free, my dear," Twigs warned.

"So what if I enjoy living on my own?" Dani protested. "I can do what I want when I want to, and help take care of you guys. Are you saying you don't want me hanging around her anymore?"

"Far from it," he assured her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But wouldn't you give Child Services one more try? Just for an old man's peace of mind?"

Dani shrugged his hand away. "No thanks."

The silence between them was deafening. "Is there some other reason, besides you simply enjoying your life of crime and leisure?"

"No."

"Like, mayhaps, not wanting to be found by a certain person?"

When Dani looked shocked, Twigs just shook his head at her. "My child, I am merely old. Despite what your generation may think towards the elderly, this does not automatically equate with senility. Look the term up in one of the books I gave you if the word isn't familiar, but the bottom line is, I can tell by this point when a person is on the run from someone. You stay with us here for more than simple altruistic reasons, though we are surely grateful for the kindness you've shown. It's more than most of us will ever know in our lifetime."

"I need to go," Dani said quickly, not moving away.

"Here me out first," Twigs pleaded. "I have obviously offended you, and that wasn't my intention. If you came here to get away from someone, then I can only imagine it was someone unimaginably cruel. You are not a girl prone to flights of fancy, or unknowledgable about the ways of the world. If your reasons for living here are borne of fear that you have nowhere else to go, then please reconsider them. There may yet be a warm home to call your own out there, if you would but open your heart to it."

"It's no big deal," she said, keeping the smile on her face fixed. "The person I'm running from, assuming I was in fact on the run from someone in the first place, left Earth years ago. So long!"

Twigs' words rang in her ears long after she'd bid him farewell and flew off towards the skyline. Dani Phantom didn't have any particular destination in mind. The level of ghost activity in the slums had dropped since the Alley Cats had been driven away. Her research into those ghost hunters had hit a dead end, as well. Most people hadn't heard of a group of ridiculously-dressed superheroes hunting ghosts after dark, and the ones that had didn't have many helpful things to add. It seemed that the grapevine as a whole reguarded the stories as a bit of a joke, which left Dani Phantom with an empty schedule calender.

Unfortunately, Dani Fenton was not so lucky!

She could have simply flown back to her hideaway and finished working on the motorcycle. There were plenty of books to go by, and she was sure to find the parts she needed at the salvage yard. A quick intangable duck through the piles of junk was sure to strike paydirt. But Dani headed in the direction of Whiskey Avenue instead, for once without a mission of thievery in mind.

Landing in an alley, she quickly shifted out of her ghost persona, using the red rings that had come to signify her shapeshifting ability. It occured to her how each Halfa she'd ever known had different colors for when they went from ghost form to human and back. Then again, there couldn't have been that many Halfas through the years, so she was probably better off not trying to dig up the past. It tended to lead to some messy places for her, anyway.

Dani walked the last two blocks in silence, pausing for a second outside the Moonrise Grill before resolutely going inside. There was money in her pocket, more than enough for herself and her fellow street urchins, but Dani was trying to hold on to it for the moment. There was a distinct possibility that she might have to buy at least a few parts for her new bike. Not that she didn't feel a distinct pang of guilt at neglecting her fellow homeless entourage, but Twigs had been telling her for months that she needed to let folks fend for themselves more. Besides, if things got bad, she could always put the bike on hold. And it felt nice to walk into a place and order something just for herself for a change.

The freckled boy behind the counter had quite a start when she told him she was just ordering for herself. After messing up her order three times and calling the manager to insert some key into the register so it could be reset, Dani calmly took her number and sat in a booth to herself by the window. It gave her a nice view of the street outside. But it seemed that she wasn't meant to sit alone for long. Since he hadn't been at the counter, Dani assumed he was off today, but someone had obviously alerted him of her presence.

"Dani!" the boy called Sam shouted as he bound down the asile towards her.

"Hey, Sam," she blushed, waving.

"The boss says I've got a ten minute break, and if I don't use it, I lose it. Is it okay if I sit here?"

"Go ahead," she replied, trying to appear disaffected as he sat opposite to her.

"So, how's it been going?"

"Fine. Fine. How was the party?"

Sam looked at her. "What party?"

"The one you invited me to. The one that reputedly had free chips and beer?"

"Oh! Right! That party!" Sam shook his head. "Sorry. Didn't make it. Something at the last second came up, so I couldn't go. Which is good, since I would have had to cancel on youf if you'd said yes."

"I... guess that makes sense," Dani said slowly. Boys were definitely still a mystery to her.

"So how about you?" he asked, playing with the salt and pepper packs. "How much food are you carrying out today?"

_Blast! _Sam thought silently. _That makes it sound like I'm accusing her of being a pig! Or worse, fat!_

"Just one order," she replied honestly.

Sam blinked. "Just one?"

"Honest!" she assured him. "Look, that guy's bringing it to me right now."

Dani pointed behind him to the freckled kid carrying a tray loaded with grilled spicy shrimp and a double burger. As she took it from him, a warm chill ran up the back of her spine to her head. For a moment, she had the faintest sensation of an added warmth in her mouth. As the tray slipped from her hand, several things happened at once. A whisp of smokey red vapor rose out of her lips. The second thing was that the tray slammed noisily against the table with a clatter that gathered every Grill patron's attention at once. Dani was just about to feign a burp to cover the reemergence of her ghost sense, when the freckled kid made it completely unnecessary!

Dani had witnessed posession before, and had even been the cause of it more than once. It had never come over a person quite so suddenly before, at least not in her past experience. The result was that the freckled boy's head immediately spun around several times like a top, before spouting off some gibberish in a foreign tongue.

Dani had just enough time to duck before he projectile vomited in her direction. "Dani, run!" Sam called out.

But Dani was already under the table and out of the range of vomit splatter. Which was a good thing, considering she didn't have many clothes to spare. Rather than simply stain the wall, however, the vomit began melting it and the table above her. Dani slid out of the way as some of the noxious fluid oozed down, burning several holes in her t-shirt. Dani looked up just in time to see the freckle-faced kid whirling around to face Sam, who crouched into a fighter's stance immediately. "Sam, take cover," she cried out, diving out from underneath the melting table to tackle him.

_'ekoc a dna seirf htiw regrub nialp a redro ot ekil dluow i.'_ he babbled, drooling acid vomit.

That got both of their attentions. "What did he say?" Dani wondered, raising up at the same time Sam did.

"Never mind!" he told her, stepping between her and the posessed fast food vender. "Get out of here! There's something... wrong with this guy!"

Wrong wasn't the adequate word to describe it, but she didn't have time to debate the issue. Even with Sam standing in front of the booth, there were too many people left in the Grill for her to risk going ghost. Most of them were obviously too busying being shocked to realize what was going on. Judging by the expressions on their faces, these people didn't deal with spiritual posession on a regular basis.

Even with that in mind, she couldn't help but feel a little impressed when Sam grabbed her tray and used it to fight off the posessed, freckled kid. He'd made a lunge for his throat, but Sam's reflexes were quite good. In fact, he took to the battle like an old pro. Dani was so busy being amazed that she almost forgot what her job was. Glad that no one had noticed her oggling, she slipped away on her hands and knees towards the bathroom. Unfortunately, Freckle Boy must have spotted her.

Today was turning out to be a learning experience for her. Dani made a mental note that posessed teenagers could hurl acidic vomit from their gaping mouths at an alarming range for later dates. She wasn't quite quick enough in this form to get completely out of the way this time. Not only did several nasty red welts appear on her arms as she leaped to the side, but her shirt was almost completely ruined. And it had been one of the nicer ones she'd dug out of the dumpster behind _Burstyn & Blair_, too!

Getting to her feet, she rounded on the boy and stared him down. Ghost form or no, this creep was going to pay for ruining what was probably the best set of clothes she'd ever owned. Nobody messed with a ghost girl from the slums.

"Come and get me, Craterface!" she yelled, snatching up a tray from the table where a frightened couple sat. Some of the people were finally beginning to catch on that something abnormal was happening, and in the tradition of these situations, they immediately panicked. Dani was just glad she'd gotten up off the floor before the frantic stragglers could trample her.

"Watch out for the acid vomit!" she warned one girl who ran past.

"What?" the girl asked, before slipping head over heels.

"Sorry. Tried to warn you!"

"Dani, get out of here!" Sam shouted, standing behind Freckle Boy. "This guy's not safe to be around right now!"

"Neither am I!" she responded, brandishing her own tray. "He ruined my favorite shirt."

"Huh?"

"It's a girl thing," she replied, preparing to swing. "You wouldn't understand."

Not only did the jerk duck out of the way, but he managed to spin his head in a complete 380 degree angle out of the way. Dani was so caught off-guard by this that she flew forward straight into Sam's arms. Sam dropped his tray in time to catch her, which sent a creeping blush right up her face.

"Thanks," she fumbled, trying unsuccessfuly to stand.

"No problem," he smiled sheepishly. "It was my... LOOK OUT!"

Dani found herself being thrown to the side like a sack of potatoes. Had she not known that Sam was keeping her out of another wad of acid vomit, it might have been insulting. All things considered, she chose to forgive him upon seeing the state of the window that had once been behind them, now reduced to so much melted glass and smoking wall.

"I guess there's no way around it," Sam sighed as she got to her feet. "We'll have to knock him out. Do you think you can keep him distracted for a few minutes?"

"I can do better than that," Dani said, spying a wet floor sign just a few feet away. "Do something to get his attention, quick!"

Sam looked for a second like he wanted to protest, but resigned the moment he realized what Dani was going for. "Over here!" he shouted, picking up a salt shaker. "Look over here, Craterface!"

The salt shaker bounced off his head with a thunk, but otherwise did no damage whatsoever. The Freckle Boy looked his way without shifting his body a bit, and spoke once again in a deep, reverberating voice.

_''ekoc a dna seirf htiw regrub nialp a redro...'_

Freckled Boy suddenly blinked, and looked around. "Huh? What am I doing..."

*WHAM!*

Dani swung the sign with all the fury a teenaged girl who'd just had her outfit ruined could own. It collided with his forehead, sending him sprawling to the floor in a heap. Sam looked at her for a moment without blinking, keeping a safe distance.

"I think he had already started to come out of it," he said softly.

"I know," Dani replied. "That was for ruining my shirt!"

"O-kay..."

"What do you think made him go all William Blatty like that?" she wondered, looking down at the now-still body.

"No idea!" Sam said, earnestly.

Dani looked sadly over at her food, which now lay in a mess amid the melted parts of the booth she'd been sitting in moments before. "Any chance I can get a refund?" she asked.

Sam whistled. "Promise not to call the Board of Health?"

"Deal!"

"One refund, coming up."

* * * * *

"I can't believe your boss actually concented to giving her a refund," said Michael, astride the Specter Sled.

"Me neither," Lucy agreed. "Normally he's such a tightwad. I wonder what made him change his mind."

"Probably the fact that I pointed out she could easily get us closed down with one phone call."

Michael nodded. "That would be sufficent."

"Keep your eyes peeled for the Class M," Lucy ordered, gazing through her helmet scanners. "If we don't come home with something tonight, the Professor might consider replacing us."

"With who?" Sam wondered. "I mean, seriously! How many kids are there lining up at the ghost hunters booth on career day?"

"Do you mean that locally or nation-wide?"

"Not now, Michael!" Lucy hissed. "Look, there has to be some clue on the scanners. If either one of you could pipe down long enough, I'll check and see if there are any interesting readings."

"Yes, ma'am!" they saluted.

Lucy scowled as she began punching in key codes on the console while struggling at the same time to keep the Specter Sled steady. Every few minutes, one of the buttons on the dashboard would flash for a moment, only to go out before she could confirm anything.

"I'm not getting anywhere with this thing," she grumbled, not watching the skies. "Let me try a few more things."

"Uhhh, Lucy?"

"Not now, Sam. I'm busy!" she grumbled, not looking up.

"Lucy, I really believe it to be imperative that you..."

"Listen, Michael. I can't keep the Sled steady and scan for ghosts at the same time, so either give me a hand with one, or keep it down."

"But Lucy..."

"WHAT?!?"

"The Class M specter is right over there."

Lucy glared at Michael for a moment, then followed his pointing finger, which was joined at the same time by Sam. Sam was doing a fair job of keeping the smirk off his face, at least until her back was turned. Sure enough, she could see the tail-end of the Class M phasing through the south wall of a building not far below. Lucy scouted the area to get a better idea of where the ghost had broken into.

"A ghost just broke into a public library," she said, looking over to her comrades. "Explain that one to me."

"I, for one, am perplexed," admitted Michael at once. "What could a fully-manifested Class M specter want from the John Carpenter Memorial Library?"

"Checking out stuff online that she can't watch at home?" Sam was looking the opposite direction as he said this, away from Lucy and Michael's faces. If they noticed, however, neither one said anything about it.

"You're the only one who does that," Lucy insisted, kicking the Sled into high gear. "Hold on. We're going in!"

Michael gulped as the Specter Sled plunged forward into an immediate nosedive. "I really dislike it when she does this," he groaned, glancing towards Sam.

"Close your eyes and think of London," was all his friend could get out. "It's some advice an ex-girlfriend gave to me."

"Facinating."

Only a moment later, the trio were convening outside the library, with Michael and Sam both bringing up the rear. Lucy waited impatiently as both of them paused long enough to pull several twigs out from uncomfortable places in their armor.

"Would you two get a move on?!"

"My apologizes," Michael replied. "I was certain that I'd secured all the harness straps before take-off. I don't know what could have happened."

"Someone's driving happened," Sam responded, yanking something more like a branch out from in back. "Good thing that tree broke our fall!"

"Get it together, guys," she told them, looking away. "There's no way that Class M is getting away from us this time."

"Right," Sam nodded. "Sure."

"From this point on, we communicate through hand signals only. Is that clear?"

Both boys nodded and followed after Lucy as she lead them up to the front door. From there, it was simply a matter of Michael hacking through the elementary security systems protecting the place. The door swung open without making a sound, not that people would have heard it regardless over the background of traffic. Lucy went in first, signaling for Michael to come after her. Sam raised his gun at the ready to provide cover fire. As they made their way through the foyer and into the main area, Michael turned back towards him.

"So, about that case this afternoon at the Moonrise Grill..."

"How many times do I have to say this before it sinks in?" Lucy all but screamed. "When your field commander orders you to keep quiet and communicate via only hand signals, what does that translate to when it travels through your brains?"

"But he was saying earlier about how his co-worker exhibited signs of..."

"Maintain... radio... silence!"

"I think the ghost would have heard you by now over us," Sam replied, pointedly.

"QUIET!"

"Right." Michael waited all of four seconds, then leaned back to whisper. "So, what exactly did happen?"

"I have no idea, really. I was sitting there trying to hold a conversation with her for maybe three seconds, and he brings out her food. Next thing I know..."

"Radio... SILENCE!" Lucy hissed at them.

Sam and Michael waited until she wandered on ahead before looking back to one another. "Anyway," Sam went on. "Next thing I know, she drops the tray and dives under the table just in time to miss a stream of what I can only say was acid vomit. And I refuse to go into any descriptive terms on that subject. You're on your own there."

"It would've been nice to obtain a sample for study," Michael moaned, not seeing Lucy up ahead of them shaking her head inside her helmet despondently. "I've never had the opportunity to examine acid vomit from a victim of possession before. It sounds quite exciting."

"Exciting is one way of putting it."

"So, have you asked her out again yet?"

"The acid vomit?"

"That girl who comes into the Grill a lot. Did you try asking her out again?"

"...not yet."

"Perhaps I'm not one who should be making such comments, but I really don't understand what the obstacle for you is."

"I give up!" Lucy screamed, throwing her hands up. "Seriously! I don't know why I bother treating either one of you like professionals. We're in the middle of a ghost hunt, tracking a potentially lethal and incredibly powerful spectral anomoly, and you guys are... IMing! I should just go to the Professor first thing in the morning and turn in my Spectral Phone!"

"We'll be good."

"We promise."

Lucy's head sagged heavily from her shoulders. "I wish I could believe that."

"Forgive me, commander. I'm a little surprised that you aren't showing more interest in this, though. Isn't our duty to track down and eliminate any and all paranormal and ectoplasmic threats?"

"It was probably just a rogue poltergeist," she replied, looking off towards a row of shelves. "Hijacking some poor kid's body for a joyride or something."

"I don't know," Sam denied. "The way poor Eric was acting, I got the impression that thing overshadowed him for a reason. It seemed like it was trying to get a point across no matter who got hurt."

"Fine. We'll investigate tomorrow after school, when we have the proper equipment for it. For right now, can we please focus on the task at hand?"

"Roger!"

"No problem."

"Good. Now, which way would that Class M have gone off to?"

"Probably right behind you," Dani replied. "Where she's been listening to all of you babble for the last ten minutes or so."

All three turned at once to face her. Lucy drew her staff out and held it forward with both hands. Michael already had his sword at the ready, while Sam simply stood there without moving. "Have you three been listening to yourselves?" Dani went on. "I just can't believe I seriously considered any of you a threat."

"Position Beta Zeta 9!" Molly ordered at once. "And don't bump into me like last time, Michael!"

"Right!"

Dani remained perfectly still as Lucy rushed towards her, using the high shelf next to them to her advantage to gain velocity. Michael, meanwhile, was moving towards her from a side angle. Lucy spun her staff in a circle overhead as she came back down. Michael's timing couldn't have been more perfect. Just as each of their weapons would have connected, Dani's body vanished from sight. Caught off guard, the two didn't have enough time to stop, and rammed full speed into each other.

"You two just fell for the oldest trick in the book," Dani called out, invisible. "It's been fun, but you might wanna try keeping it down. We're in a library, after all."

"You can't hide from us that easily," Lucy bit back, getting to her feet out from under Michael's body. "Go to Ecto-Vision and sweep the area. It can't have gotten far this quickly."

Michael complied, but Lucy was faster. It only took her a moment. "Right there, Sam," she said, pointing up near the ceiling. "Open fire, before she gets away!"

Sam didn't so much as twitch. "Sam, did you hear me?" Lucy repeated, looking back his way. "Hurry up! She'll have phased through the ceiling any second now. Take the shot!"

Sam raised his rifle and took aim. "I'm sorry," he whispered, squeezing the trigger.

The blast missed Dani's head by a good foot or so. The explosion that followed, however, as the beam landed solidly against the roof was still enough to knock her back a ways. Sam kept right on firing after her as she tried to get away, but Dani was always just ever so slightly ahead of him.

"Sam, stop!" Michael coughed, finally getting up. "That's the main support beam. If you hit it, the roof will..."

"What? My comlink went black for a sec..."

"Sam, don't!"

Lucy's scream came an instant too late. Sam had already pull the trigger. The blast rocketing from his gun roared through the air towards the beam hanging high overhead with all the subtlety of a freight train. It blew the beam clear in half, spreading cracks all through the plaster and roofing surrounding it.

"Oopsie."

Anything else he might have said in way of an apology was lost over the sound of it raining building materials on their heads. Somewhere over the roar of him being buried alive, Sam wondered if he'd live through this long enough to explain things to Lucy. Dying didn't seem like a much better option, since that would just give her the excuse to track him down and torture him. Either way, she was never going to let him forget this.

Once again, he was turning out to be about as lucky with ghost hunting as he was with girls.

* * * * *

Zeitgeist looked across from his desk. "The... what just caved in?"

"The library roof, sir."

The lackey didn't seem the least bit comfortable standing there delivering this little tidbit of bad news. Had Zeitgeist been the type of man to notice something of this sort, he would have probably spent the next several minutes beating the young man's head into his desk just for the heck of it. Luckily, he was too distracted at the moment.

"Whatever," he replied after a moment's pause. "Is that all?"

"It appeared to have been caused by something other than natural causes," the lackey continued, reluctantly. "Something with high-calibre ectoplasmic firepower. From what we were able to examine before the police forensics showed up, the main support beam was hit with a heavy level of shots fired from what may have been similiar to our organization's ECT-1187 blaster."

"Someone other than us, in other words, has access to that sort of weaponry?"

"Yes, master."

"I see." Zeitgeist rose up from his chair. "Well, this leads me to a bit of a conflict of interest. On the one hand, it makes you interrupting me with some news other than the location of my artifact more plausable. On the other, however, it means that I cannot simply have you killed on a whim just yet, and that would have made me feel so much better about your barging in. Tell me, who could have done something like this?"

"Please, sir! There was very little evidence left. Plus, we had to take our orders of absolute secrecy into account while we were examining the area. As for the artifact in question, we believe it was shipped to the wrong address simply by mistake. The company having it shipped to us claimed full responsibility, and..."

"Have the company bankrupted by the end of this week," Zeitgeist said, waving his hand dismissively. "Then track down each and every employee and make sure they never find work every again on this coast. And have their families evicted from their homes while you're at it!"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, about where the idol was sent to?"

"Right. The information will be faxed to us first thing in the morning. From there, it will be a simple matter of locating the idol ourselves and having it retrieved."

"Good," Zeitgeist said. "That idol is a massive storage container for ectoplasmic energy. Half the Hexpergate's facilities could run for weeks on end non-stop with that thing powering them. I want that idol found immediately."

"As you wish, master."

"Oh, and on your way out, make sure you give the janitor my regards. His son just recently burned down the neighbor's home and is currently on the run from the local authorities."

"Sir?"

Zeitgeist grinned sadistically. "Just one of my little side projects. I was especially proud of that one!"

Zeitgeist waited until the lackey had left before turning to the window. Outside, it was growing dark. The city was still alive with sounds and smells, but his thoughts were focused on a place much farther away. "Are you looking down on me, father?" he whispered.

There was no response, but then again, there never was anymore. "I will find a way to bring you back to me," he continued in the silent room. "This idol is just the first step in my plans. Just wait! I'll have you home soon."

* * * * *

"The Professor sure sounded mad."

"Well, Michael," Lucy grumbled, giving Sam a glare. "What exactly were you expecting? I mean, it's not as though we let the Class M slip through our fingers once again, and destroyed a crucial piece of public property in the process. So what if we're going to have to lay low for the next couple of weeks while ghosts everywhere run rampant? So what if there's a chance that the cops might somehow trace all of this back to us, putting our lives and families in jeopardy. So what if..."

"How many times do I have to say, 'I'm sorry?!'"

Lucy rounded on Sam and stared him right in the face. "Let me think," she pondered. "How about until I'm sick and tired of hearing it? Or better yet, until my headache from having a ton or so of plaster landing on it goes away?"

"It seemed like your aim was off last night," Michael broke in.

"That's putting it mildly," she scoffed, turning away.

"Was there something wrong, Sam?"

Sam didn't meet his comrade's eyes for a moment. "Just... having an off-night, I guess."

"Make sure you bring your A-game today, then. Since we can't go out in full gear just yet, the Professor wants us to investigate that bout of possession at the Grill. Do you think you can work and avoid blowing the place up at the same time?"

"That's highly unfair," Michael told her, defensively.

"Thank you, Morris," he said. "It's nice to know someone in this group supports me."

"Sam's been working there for months now, and nothing has blown up yet. Unless you count that one time with the stove, but it was only his first day."

"Michael, please don't help me."

"I can't believe we had to take the bus with you," Lucy went on ranting. "The Professor won't even let us drive the Specter Sled now."

"I take the bus all the time," Sam replied, as they rounded the corner into Whiskey Avenue. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is..." Lucy was cut off short as she abruptly tripped over something and fell forward. Catching herself, she whirled around to find a girl about her age lying on the sidewalk right where she'd been passing through a second ago. The girl glared up at her as she dusted herself off and stood.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

Lucy looked as though she would have enjoyed retaliating, but Sam quickly cut her off by leaping forward. "Dani!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Sam?" Dani seemed just as shocked to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Just headed to work," he said. "These are my friends. Michael is the one behind you, and I think you've already ran into Lucy."

"Funny," Lucy sneered. "So, this is the girl you've been talking about?"

"Huh?" Dani looked over at Sam. "What does she mean?"

"Sam may have mentioned you once before," Michael said quickly, upon seeing Sam waving his hands desperately for Lucy to change the subject. "He said something about you coming into the Moonrise Grill from time to time."

"Oh, right. I mean, yeah, I've gone in from time to time to place orders and stuff. Were you guys going with him?"

"Yeah, they were just going to hang out for a bit," he nodded. "Do you... want to come with us? I've got a few minutes."

Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Dani answered before she could. "Sure," Dani said. "I'll be there in a few minutes. I've just got to run a couple of errands first."

"I have to clock in by four," he told her, as Lucy led them away. "See you when you get there."

"What exactly is your damage?" Lucy hissed, once they were out of earshot. "We're supposed to be investigating a potential ectoplasmic infestation, not countermacking on homeless slummers!"

"Homeless?" Sam said, looking at her. "What makes you think Dani is homeless?"

"Just look at her! She doesn't wear makeup, her clothes look like they were dug out of a garbage bin, and she lurks around in Whiskey Avenue. What more information do you need? A neon sign?"

"I thought you said the incident at the Moonrise Grill was just a random incident," Michael broke in. "Does this mean you've changed your mind?"

"The Professor thinks it's worth investigating, so that's good enough for me. Besides," she added, darkly. "Thanks to someone else's bad aim, this might be the only ghost hunting we do for a while."

"Hmmm, good point."

The three entered the front door of the Moonrise Grill and immediately scattered. As per instructions, their purpose was to gather information and scout for possible causes. Hopefully, the trail wouldn't have gotten too cold just yet. Sam didn't have long before he would have to punch in. Along with that, he kept glancing towards the door, hoping to catch sight of a short girl in a pony tail with dark hair, looking a little ruffled. Maybe they could talk later, after he got off from work...

"Not to give you a hard time," Michael said, sliding up next to him. "But you might want to pay more attention to what you're doing. I seriously doubt you'll find any ghosts hiding in the girl's bathroom, and you've been pointing that EDT towards it for about five minutes. Lucy's starting to get suspicious. Plus, even if there are ghosts hiding in there, I doubt there would be much anyone but Lucy could do about it."

Michael was silent for a second. "I wonder what it looks like in there," he added, thoughtfully. "Do you suppose we could search it, strickly for professional reasons, I mean?"

"Do it, and face the unholy wrath of Lucy," Sam warned, putting his EDT away.

"Right. Back to work, then."

"And off to work for me." Sam pointed towards the counter. "I still have another job to do, and the boss is giving me a funny look. I think I'm going to have to wrap this up for now."

"Roger that. I'll carry on, and let you know if we find something."

Sam turned around, and walked right into Dani. "Sorry!" he apologized quickly. "Guess you've got all sorts of people running into you today, huh?"

"That was sort of my fault," Dani replied, sheepishly. "I hope she's alright. Your friend, I mean. She seemed pretty mad at the time."

"She's just upset about something completely different," he blurted out. "And don't say that it was your fault. I mean, it's not like you were invisible or something."

"No, of course not!" Dani agreed, quickly. Both laughed uncomfortably, then fell silent.

"Well, I've got to get to work. Can you hang around for a little while?"

"I think so," she nodded. "But, I'll pass on ordering any food for right now. My doctor told me that consuming foods that induce projectile vomiting and speaking in tongues was hazardous to my health."

"Listen to him," said Sam. "Don't tell my boss I said that, though. He's still debating on whether to fire Josh, or make him clean toilets for a month."

"Josh?" Dani asked, confused. "Oh, you mean Freckle Boy! Well, maybe if he promises not to spin his head around anymore..."

"It might be better if Mr. Graves did fire him," he mused. "There would be one less person eating all of the fries."

"You're right," Dani agreed. "Ship him out."

"I hate to interrupt," said a familiar-looking older man that Dani instantly recognized as Mr. Graves. "But Sam, were you planning on coming to work anytime soon?"

"Right now, sir," he sighed, giving Dani one last look. "I'm sorry. I'll have to talk to you later."

"Sam, we've got trouble!" Lucy shouted from the other side of the room.

The hand-held EDT in her hands began beeping and flashing erratically, just as several customers began to act very weirdly. An elderly woman with a small poodle suddenly raised up, and her head started turning as if it were a top while the dog barked rapidly at it. Two junior high girls spewed vomit that stuck to the walls like spider webbing as their eyes glowed an eerie color. And a young man in a business suit whole body contorted like a circus performer, until he was able to pick up a piece of shrimp with his toes.

"Sweet Mother of Caine!" Mr. Graves cried out. "My whole restaurant's been taken over by spooks!"

It seemed as though that very thing were happening. One by one, each patron stood up from their seats with eyes that glowed a sick green color. Sam took position in front of Dani, who quickly backed out of the way. The idea was for her to find a quiet place where she could become Dani Phantom. Unfortunately, all available exits had been cut off. Dani found herself being surrounded, as several of the possessed people closed in on her from all sides.

"Dani!" Sam cried.

Dani didn't wait around for anyone to help her, however. Crouching low, she kicked a foot out into one's solar plexus, then used the momentum to push herself away. Crouching low, she slid along the tile floor under another's legs, which carried her directly into the back area of the Grill. Looking up, she saw a girl just a few years older than her throw her head back. A long, forked tongue waved wildly out of her widely-opened jaw as her eyes burned red. The fry basket she'd been holding erupted into flames, which spread to the cooking oil still bubbling in the frier.

If this weren't a job for Dani Phantom, she didn't know what was. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists together as the change came on. The red rings spread out from her waist, traveling up and down at the same time. Where they passed, her body tingled with new strength and power. Even after all this time, she still felt a rush whenever this happened.

Just as the girl came for her, Dani summoned her ectoplasm energy and fired right into the possessed girl's chest. Instead of throwing her back, though, a glowing mass of something came flying out of her back on the opposite side of where her blast had struck. The girl crumpled to the floor as Dani turned to face the hissing ghost that had taken her over. The thing was big, and it looked nothing short of gruesome, but one more blast from Dani's Ray made it evaporate.

Dani lowered her hands in confusion as the red energy fizzled out between her fingers. No self-respecting ghost would deatomize from something as weak as that. Before she could debate the issue further, though, another one came at her. Taking the cue, Dani blasted him away, driving the ghost out at the same time. Before it could recover, she had blasted it as well. This confirmed her theory, then.

These weren't ghosts!

Dani phased through the wall to find Sam and the others battling it out with the remainer of the possessed. It looked as though they'd held their own in the beginning, but the three were now overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Dani began making quick work of things. Following the same strategy, she spread a low-level fire through each one, driving out the negative energy that'd somehow taken hold, then dissipating it with a stronger one.

"Lucy, look," Michael said, pointing. "It's her!"

"I don't believe it," she gasped. "That thing slips through our fingers twice, and then shows up to fight off these things on the one day we don't have our Specter Phones?!"

"Perhaps we aren't living right?"

"Look at her," Sam said, urgently. "What's she doing?"

Dani finished off the last one, then turned to find the three glaring straight at her. "A ghost fighting other ghosts," Lucy stated, approaching her. "Just when I thought I'd seen everything!"

"These weren't ghosts," Dani said quickly, crossing her arms. "They're just blobs of ectoplasm given form. Real ghosts can't be taken out this easily. And since when do three teenagers know anything about ghosts?"

"We know ghosts can't be taken out that easily," Lucy scoffed, grabbing her by the arm. "We spend almost every night hunting them. Speaking of which, you're going to have to come with us, now."

Dani jerked her arm back quickly, shaking Molly off. "I've got other places to be," she stated. "And what's this about you three being ghost hunters? Don't tell me you're those same dorks I tangled with a few nights ago..."

"Damn straight!" Lucy declared. Reaching into her pocket, she yanked out her Specter Phone and pointed it at Dani's chest. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"You had your Specter Phone with you this whole time?" Michael asked, agast.

"Of course. You know I never leave my house without it."

"Then, why didn't you use it before?"

"Because she didn't want us knowing that she'd deliberately disobeyed the Professor's orders," Sam said, chuckling. "Let it go, Lucy. She actually helped us out here, for whatever the reason. Besides, we still have other things to take care of."

"I don't believe it," Dani said, giving each of them a look. "You really are the guys who jumped me after I fought the Alley Cats. The clowns in the black tokusatsu hero outfits..."

"Clowns?" Sam actually looked a little hurt.

"Forget it," Lucy ordered him, closing in on Dani. "I want to know right now: what have you got to do with all these people getting possessed, huh?"

"Possessed?" Dani looked at her. "Have you listened to a word I've said? Those weren't ghosts controlling these people. Something else is causing this."

"Something like you?" Lucy challenged. "You show up, and then something like this happened."

"I got here after the place went ballistic," she pointed back. "In fact, most of these people had been here for a while before..."

A thought hit her. "It's the food," she said, looking around the room. "All these people were eating when they suddenly went postal. Something in the food is doing this to them."

"Plausable," Michael nodded at her. "But there's a flaw in your theory. Not everyone who was eating here exhibited signs of whatever is wrong. Most of them ran out the moment the symptoms occured. And there was only one case of this occuring yesterday."

Dani looked at each table again. There was something here, something obvious, that she was overlooking. She could feel it. It didn't look like any of them had ordered the same thing, though. All their trays were different. Half the food hadn't even been eaten yet, except for...

"The fries!" she exclaimed. "They all ate fries with their meal. That kid with the freckles, Josh, had been eating all the fries."

"How did you know that?" Lucy wondered.

Dani didn't wait around to answer her. Turning intangible again, she dove back through the wall to the back room and landed near the fryer. Leaning over it, she inhaled deeply and waited. Sure enough, a second later, wisps of red vapor trailed out of her mouth. Her ghost sense, for whatever reason, was returning to her. And it was locking on whatever was inside the fry grease. Dani turned to leave, but Sam and the others burst through the doors.

"Sam," she said. "Where does your fry grease come from?"

"How'd you know his name?" Lucy demanded.

"We get it from an out-of-state supplier," he told her. "But it's shipped to a warehouse on the docks first before coming here on a delivery truck."

"The docks?" Michael asked him. "Are you sure?"

"The warehouse on the docks!" Molly cried out, smacking herself on the forehead. "That's where the artifact the Professor warned us was coming into Silent Hollow is being kept. That's the source of all this."

"What idol?" Dani demanded. "What have you guys got to do with this?"

"None of your business!" Lucy reached for her pocket and tossed two more Specter Phones towards Michael and Sam. "Here!"

"Our Specter Phones!" Michael exclaimed, joyously. "When did you..."

"I always come prepared," she cut in. "Let's move out."

_"Specterize!"_ they all cried out at once.

Dani watched blandly as the trio raised their phones high, and the air around them sizzled. Three rings formed around them one after the other, layering battle armor over their bodies. When the transformation was complete, they each struck a pose.

"Nice," she said sarcastically. "Did you come up with that yourselves?"

"We'll be back for you later," Lucy swore. "Michael, summon the Specter Sled."

"Specter Sled?" Dani held back as they tore out of the back room and raced for the door. "Hold on, you three willingly named your ride the Specter Sled?"

All three were waiting at the corner when she floated out onto the street. "Maybe you should take the bus instead," she called out to them. "It would be a lot faster."

"Shut up!" Lucy snapped at her. "Like a ghost would know anything, anyway."

"I'll bet this sort of thing never happens to other superheros," Michael groaned. "We're starting to get some strange looks from people, Lucy."

"Just ignore them," she insisted, facing the sidewalk across from her. "Ah, here's our ride."

Dani watched as the cycle-shaped hovercraft roared overhead, stopping just above them. As the three boarded it, she glanced out towards where the docks were. "This might get interesting," she mused, taking to the air. "I suppose I'll have to follow them anyway, just to make sure no one gets killed. Or has a roof collapse on their heads again."

* * * * *

"We should've asked for directions," Michael said, holding onto the Specter Sled.

"Cut the chatter," she barked. "Sam, are you certain this is the way to the shipping warehouse?"

"I told you... ack!" he said, nearly falling off again. "I only remember the address from delivery invoices. I've never actually been out this way before."

"Well, hurry up and figure out where we are! You're about as useless as MapQuest right now. If we don't get that idol back, we can kiss our ghost hunting days under the Professor goodbye."

"Copy that," he sighed, looking around. "Hey, I think that might be it over there."

"Roger. I'll land this thing and we'll check it out."

"Oh no," Michael groaned, holding on tightly. "Not again!"

A moment later, the Specter Sled was plowing straight through the roof of the warehouse. With shards of broken glass raining all around them, she brought it to a stop just inches before crashing into solid concrete. The other two let out a gasp and quickly leaped off to the ground below.

"That wasn't so bad," Lucy said lightly, joining them.

"Tell me something, Lucy," said Michael. "What exactly were you planning to do on the day of your driver's exam?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm picking up some radical ecto readings from over there," said Sam, pointing. "Chances are good it's the idol."

"Hold on. I'm getting another reading of a spectral entity, and a powerful one. Michael, do a data comparison and see if it's our Class M."

"Already done," he told her. "And it isn't. This is somebody new."

"Take your positions," Lucy ordered, drawing her staff. "Formation Alpha-Two-Center. And make it work this time."

The Specter Detectors charged forward with their weapons drawn towards the mysterious figure concealed in shadows. Within seconds, the battle was over. Each member fell to the ground in a heap, their tools scattered in all directions. Calico pulled the hood away from her face and mulled over their still forms for a moment.

"I suppose it's a good thing the Hexpurgate wanted this thing brought back right away," she purred. "Otherwise, I'd have more time to play with you. Sorry about this, kiddies, but I have to pay back my debts some way."

"Have you considered trying a credit management company?"

Calico looked up just in time to catch a blast right across the face. The force of the Ecto-Ray alone was enough to knock her flying. Her ghost form bounced along the floor for several feet before making a noisy crash against a set of boxes.

"That idol is pretty dangerous," Dani Phantom told her. "Plus, I think it's been poisoning the food at one of my favorite resturaunts, so I'm gonna have to ask that you turn it over."

"No can do, little girlly!" Calico said, extending her ruby-red, ten inch claws. "My employers want it, and I'm obligated to bring it back. You'll understand once you're old enough to have a job of your own. At least you would, if I were going to let you live long enough."

Dani sighed, and stretched out her hand. Taking aim at the box, she fired a blast directly into it. The idol resting within it glowed as her energy was absorbed straight into it's center.

"That won't do any good," Calico said, raising up. "The thing leeches off ectoplasmic energy like a sponge. It can't..."

Calico froze as, a second later, the crate began to tremble. Dani's eyes shined red in the dark as it levitated on it's own into the air. There was a moment of silence as she held out a hand and formed it into a fist. The crate suddenly broke into pieces. The idol was blasted apart at the same time, sending out a shock wave through the warehouse that lit up the whole docks. Calico was thrown back once more as parts of the building came crumbling down.

Dani lowered her ecto-shield as her feet hovered just above the ground in front of Calico. "Still looking for a fight?"

Calico raised up slowly, and gazed at her. "Not tonight," she said weakly. "But you can bet I will be soon. Count on it."

"Looks like your systems have shorted out," Dani noted, gesturing towards the damage in Calico's hardware. "I realize it's bad form for me to kick someone when they're down, but I owe you some payback for kidnapping me and turning me over to those Alley Cats last time. So, think fast!"

Dani grinned as she charged foward through the air, her hands glowing as she pummled Calico left and right. Calico fought back, but the blast wave from the destroyed idol seemed to have messed up her cybernetics something awful. Before long, Dani had her cornered.

"Giving up?" she asked, cockily.

"Hardly," Calico growled, backing up against a set of crates. "In fact, I'd say I just struck... oil!"

Grabbing one of the crates behind her, she flung it towards Dani, then fired a missile. The crate exploded before it could reach her, but that didn't matter. Calico had found one of the crates of cooking oil the Moonrise Grill had ordered. The oil had been sitting right next to the crate with the idol in it. Dani watched as it took the form of a monster, and lunged out at her. Quickly, Dani formed a shield to protect herself as Calico made her escape.

"Calico!" she cried out after her, blocking the monster's second attempt.

"Sorry, Ghost Girl," she taunted, heading for the exit door. "Maybe next time. Ciao!"

Dani molded the shield into several Ecto-Ray blasts, which traveled right through the oil monster, leaving several smoking holes in it, but otherwise doing no real damage whatsoever. Backing away, she looked around for something she could use to fight this thing with, and spotted the Polter-Vac strapped to Sam's belt.

"I need to borrow this," she said, swooping down to grab it. "I promise I'll give it back in one piece."

Dani ducked and weaved around the oil monster, firing blasts into it one after the other. The monster roared in frustration, but couldn't land a single blow. Finally, Dani rolled out of it's grasp and turned the Polter-Vac on it. "See you around, slick," she taunted, sucking the monster up into it. "And stay away from any grease fires."

Sam looked on at her for a moment in awe. "You saved us," he whispered.

"You'll have to throw out all your old cooking oil and order new batches of it," she said, handing the Polter-Vac back to him reluctantly. "The idol was being stored right next to it. I guess all the ectoplasm it was drawing towards it contaminated some of the stuff nearby. Those people weren't really possessed by ghosts, just manifestations of their own personal demons."

"Not so fast," Lucy said, fighting to get to her feet. "You still haven't... ouch!"

"You should lie still," Dani told her.

"What are you?" Lucy went on, oblivious to the pain. "A ghost that can take the form of a human?"

"My name is Dani," she said. "Dani Phantom."

"Dani," Sam repeated. "With an 'I'?"

Sam reached up and hit the command buttons on the side of his helmet to make it fold back away from his face, and smiled sheepishly up at her. Dani's eyes widened for a moment before she backed away and vanished.

"You knew, didn't you?" Lucy whispered softly. "You know who she really is."

But Sam refused to say anything. His eyes remained glued to the spot where Dani Phantom had disappeared from.


	3. Episode 3 Malled by the Damned!

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 3

Malled by the Damned

_"Shop Until You Drop Dead!"_

by Ri-kun

Dani raised up and wiped a smear of grease across her forehead as she surveyed her handiwork. It was slow going, but things were finally coming together, it looked like. There were still a couple of parts she needed, like a good valve for the gas line, and some brake pads. Other than that, the bike only lacked a couple of very minor odds and ends before she took it out on the road for a test spin. Of course, that was only if she had followed everything the books and magazines had told her. And assuming, again, that they were right.

Then, there was the simple matter that she'd never actually ridden a bike before. Mustn't forget that one pesky detail.

Dani dusted herself off as she rose up from the floor and began peeling the layer of sweaty clothes off. It was especially hot today, and she'd spent much of it indoors. A quick shower was in order before she went out scavanging for food and parts. For once, the cold water was going to be a big relief instead of the necessary evil she endured. As it splashed over her, Dani began thinking through the places she might go to find what she needed. The parts yard was a definite possibility, so long as the ghost of that cantankerous salvage dealer didn't bother her. She hadn't counted on the yard being haunted, which in retrospect should have occured to her before she got there. Places like that were notorious for attracting ghosts and other spirits.

What she really needed were some screws. The bike would more or less run, but not if it was still lying in pieces on her floor. She'd removed much of them the first time she stripped it down to see how everything work. A couple of the screws had gotten lost, admittedly, but most of them had been banged up pretty bad, so she'd decided not to use them again. Most things like that were too rusty or old to be worth anything, unless they'd been set aside in a specific pile. The only other place she could think of while icy water dripped down off her was the mall.

Dani didn't like the mall much. There were too many perfectly normal everyday people in there, and it bothered her to be there while invisible. She could brave one trip if it meant stealing a few screws. Dani sighed, and shook off the remainder of water clinging to her and shivered. Real ghosts couldn't feel the cold as far as she knew, but a halfa didn't share that same immunity. Right now, it would have been nice to exchange with someone.

Dani changed into the last semi-clean set of clothes she owned. If she was going to the mall, even in her invisible state, she wanted to be dressed for the occasion. Tying her wet hair back into a ponytail, she surveyed herself for a moment as best she could, then passed through the wall to the outside.

"There she is!"

Dani looked around to find several ugly men charging down the alley towards her. Sighing, she shifted forms and met them head-long into a fight. Five whole seconds later, the men were left broken on the ground, tangled up in their own arms and legs.

"I'd stick around to play with you guys some more," she said, taking to the air. "But I've got some important business to take care of."

Since she'd been helping out people in the slums, creeps of all types had been following her around. Ghost or human, some people just didn't like her. Dani sadly just chalked it up to yet another downside of being a ghost girl on the run, and soared off to the Silent Hollow Mall.

The place of ultimate evil.

And screws!

* * * * *

The first thing Dani noticed once she landed in some bushes outside the mall was that it was especially crowded. The second thing was that there were elephants. She noticed it in exactly that order. One of the elephants had been lurking near the bushes, and when she dove down, it apparently got very curious. She'd never been picked up by an incredibly big-eared, one-and-a-half ton Indian mammal by it's nose before. The experience left her feeling a little dizzy, but Dani managed to handle it with her usual grace and dignity.

She instantly started screaming for help.

"Hold it there, Simba!" a man cried out, patting the elephant on the side of the head. "Put her down now!"

The elephant reluctantly complied, and placed Dani gently back on the ground. "I'm so sorry about this," said the ringmaster, leaning over her. "You aren't injured or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," she assured him, smiling. "He just caught me by surprise. I didn't know the circus was in town."

"Oh, good," the ringmaster said, ignoring her. "A lawsuit is the last thing I need right now. If you kids didn't rake in so much dough, I'd have the lot of you banned from the area right off the bat!"

"Yeah... well, I'm gonna go now."

"Not so fast," the ringmaster snapped, not letting go of her. "I'll need you to come to my office first to sign a few things. You'll need to call your parents to come, too, since you look like you're underage. I really can't tell since you teenagers all look alike, but..."

"Dude, I don't have any parents," Dani said, upset. "Now let me go."

The ringmaster scoffed. "Don't think you can weasel out of signing a waver, then turn around and sue the pants off me and my act, little girl. Us carny folk practically invented that manuveur, before you punks stole it from us!"

"I haven't stolen anything," she said angrily. "Now let me go!"

"Come along!" he threated.

Dani reared back and promptly belted the man across the nose. There was a rather loud crack, and the elephant behind them let out a loud bellow through it's trunk as Dani pulled free and took off.

"Dopp err!" the ringmaster shouted as he got to his feet, holding a rag to his nose. "Shee cud zdill doo da panks aff ub oos!"

Dani darted around the side of a caravan and quickly shifted back to her ghost form. Turning invisible, she waited until several very large and oddly-dressed men ran past her before moving away. Slipping through the various trailers and bails of hay, she searched for a way out.

"This is just one more reason why I hate coming to the mall," she muttered. "And to think, I once debated running away to the circ..."

"Who's there?"

Dani froze and instinctively stepped back as a young boy no older than ten or so came storming out behind a mountain of props. "I know I heard someone talking," he said defiantly. "You can come on out now. I know you're a ghost!"

Dani blinked, and waited a moment. There was some kind of weird device in his hands. Taking a chance, she shifted back to her human form and stepped out into the open. "I'm not a ghost," she half-lied. "I'm just a girl. Who are you supposed to be?"

The boy looked her over, appearing disappointed at something. "I'm Wes," he said, angrily. "Who are you? You're not with the circus, are you?"

"No, I thought maybe you were," she admitted. "My name's Dani. I was being chased by some of the goon squad here and got lost. What are you doing here?"

"Hunting for ghosts!" he said proudly, puffing his chest up. "My friends and I are the Junior Ghosthunter's League. We seek out all paranormal and supernatural phenomenon for scientific and exploitative study."

"Junior Ghosthunter's League," she repeated. "And, what's that in your hand?"

"None of your business!" Wes made an attempt to conceal it, but Dani was too quick.

"It's top-secret!" he protested, as she grabbed his arm and held the device up. "No one else is allowed to know!"

"What?" she asked, earnestly. "That you're ghost hunting equipment consists of an old calculator with two egg beaters taped to it?"

"It's a work in progress," he insisted, jerking his arm back. "And I wouldn't expect a girl to get things like this, anyway."

"Right," Dani nodded. "Because girls don't know a thing about ghost hunting."

"You probably don't!" Wes insisted. "I'll bet you've never even seen a ghost before. You probably don't know a thing about them!"

"Not the first thing."

"Then leave me alone and let me get back to work. I've got important business here. Everyone knows that ghosts love to haunt the circus. Even a lame brain like you should have heard at least that much."

"I honestly hadn't," Dani said as she walked off. "But thanks for keeping me informed. And good luck catching a ghost with your egg beater calculator."

"It's not an egg beater; it's a ghost tracker!" Wes cried out after her. "And it's used for tracking ghosts, not catching them!"

Opting to leave before the strange kid named Wes attracted way too much attention, Dani slipped through the area back towards the mall. She'd already had enough adventure for one day, and there was still her shopping to get done. In all the craziness, Dani had nearly forgotten what she'd come there for. Taking a side route, she snuck around the massive building to one of the side entrances and headed in there. It would mean doubling back once she was inside, but at the very least, using this direction meant that the excitement was over for today.

At least, that was what she thought.

Dani hadn't taken two steps through the entrance, when a familiar voice called out to her. Dani turned to find Sam headed towards her. Immediately, she turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

"Dani, wait up!" he pleaded.

"No thanks," she said curtly, not looking his way. "I prefer to spend my time with people who aren't trying to shoot at me."

Sam continued to pursue her, as Dani ducked through a crowd. "I'm really sorry about that," he said sincerely. "My friends and I... well, they can be a little overzealous. They didn't mean anything by it, though. And besides, I hadn't told them what you were."

"And what exactly is it you think I am, huh?" Dani stopped, but still avoiding his gaze. "A freak? Am I something it's okay for you to shoot at and throw a net over, just because I'm not like you or anyone else?"

"No!" Sam said quickly. "I mean, first of all, would it kill you to at least look at me?"

Dani turned halfway. "Maybe. How do you know I'm not already dead?"

"I really don't, I guess," he admitted. "What... are you, exactly? I've never heard of a ghost that can be human. Or a human with ghost powers, if that's what you are. Which is it, by the way?"

Dani sighed. She couldn't really fault him for his curiosity. Those were, after all, questions she'd been asking herself for a very long time now. "Both," she admitted, finally meeting his eyes. "Or, maybe neither. I really don't have all the answers myself."

"Have you got a few minutes?" Sam asked earnestly. "I'd like to sit down and just talk, if that's okay."

There was nowhere really for her to go besides getting the screws she needed for the bike. Dani had no desire to linger here longer than she needed to be. For one thing, the psycho ringmaster of the circus might still be looking for her with his army of muscleheads. She was more than a match for them, but a small-bodied teenage girl throwing around full grown men might draw unwanted attention.

"We could even eat lunch," Sam added. "If you're hungry, that is. It'll be my treat!"

"Deal!"

A few minutes later, they each had grabbed a slice of pizza from the Italian eatery and sat down. "So, what's with the carnival act?" Dani asked, looking around the area.

"The mall is throwing some kind of charity benefit circus," Sam said, through a piece of pepperoni. "Most of the kids from my school showed up to check it out. Even the ones who said it would be lame."

"Which means your two teammates are here," Dani stated, glancing around.

"We were supposed to meet up later," he admitted. "But don't worry. Nobody knows I bumped into you here. You're perfectly safe with me."

Dani wasn't sure she could believe him just yet, but ate her pizza in silence. One slice of pizza was enough to buy her trust for a couple of minutes of conversation. He hadn't had the opportunity to poison it with anything, anyway.

"So, you and your friends hunt ghosts," she said, licking her fingers clean. "How'd you wind up doing that? After-school project?"

"Something like that," Sam nodded. "Lucy, Michael, and I have known each other for years. We sort of teamed up in order to survive high school together."

"Must be nice," Dani whispered quietly.

"How about you?" he pressed. "How'd you wind up with ghost powers?"

"I was... born with them."

"How?"

"It's a really long story," she said quickly. "And besides, I seriously doubt you'd believe me if I told you."

"I spend my afternoons hunting things in this city that most people don't even believe in," Sam pointed out. "Try me."

Dani sighed, and took a very deep breath. "There was this boy once," she said. "You might have heard about him on the news at some point. Anyway, he had ghost powers just like me. In fact, he was the source of my powers. A very bad man tried to clone him at one point, and made a mistake by substituting an X chromosome for the Y one. All of his other clones had either failed, or turned out deformed and grotesque, but I was the stable one for some reason. He tried to use me to bring my 'cousin', if you will, to him so he could gain what he called a 'mid-morph sample'; a DNA sample of him while he was halfway transformed between ghost and human."

"How did he get ghost powers?" Sam interrupted. "Your cousin, I mean."

"An accident in his parents lab, I think," she answered, evasively. "They were scientists who studied ghosts. Anyway, I finally figured out what was going on, and tried to help my cousin get away. By that point, my own DNA was starting to unravel. I couldn't use my powers without risking my body dissolving on me. So, I ran away."

Dani took a drink to clear her throat, and continued. "A few months later, I went back to his home town. By that point, my body was getting ready to fall apart on me. The bad man that created me had me kidnapped. He wanted to dissect me to try and learn why I had survived longer than his other clones. My cousin helped rescue me, and used one of his parents' inventions to restore me completely. I decided to put as much distance between him and me as I could, since my being there had become more of a liability to him."

"So, you're a clone?"

Dani nodded. "That's right."

"A half-ghost clone engineered in a mad scientist's laboratory with superhuman powers."

"Right."

Sam grinned. "That is so cool."

Dani glared at him, and got to her feet. "Very funny," she bit, getting ready to walk off.

"No, wait!" Sam pleaded. "I was being serious. It really does sound cool, though not in the way it probably sounded."

Dani paused, and sit back down. "I might be willing to forgive you," she said slowly. "In exchange for another slice of pizza."

Sam looked at her. "You sure do drive a hard bargain."

"I'm a street rat," she shrugged. "You're a mall rat. The same rules still apply, from what I've seen."

"One extra slice of pizza, coming up!"

A large crowd of people had gathered in the center of the food court around what appeared to be a small stage by the time Sam returned. Dani watched the scene unfold as she munched on her second piece, while Sam, in turn, observed her.

"You really do live on the streets, then?" he pressed, after a moment.

"Afraid so," she said, between sips.

"Where at?"

"Here and there," she replied, evasively. "I try not to stay in one place for too long. Silent Hollow is one of the few towns I've been in for this long."

"Will you be here for good?" There seemed to be a note of desperation in his voice.

"Hard to say," she replied, pushing her plate away. "Probably not, seeing as how popular I've been getting with the locals."

"How about I make it up to you?" Sam said, getting to his feet. "Let's go check out the magic show together."

"What magic show?" she asked, eyeing the outstretched hand.

"The one that's right over there," he said, pointing. "Look, I know you're interested. You've been watching it this whole time."

"I was just wondering..." Dani stopped, and took his head. "Sure," she sighed. "Why not?"

It took them a moment to work their way through the crowd. No one seemed especially glad to let them through, and by the time they reached the front, the announcer was already waving her arms wildly to welcome out who she called the 'Amazing Solomon'.

"I've seen out-of-work Broadway actors wearing more clothing than her," Dani remarked, as the Amazing Solomon took the stage amid a cloud of smoke an unenthusiastic applause.

"I think the crowd came here to see her more than some lame magic act," Sam noted, appreciatively.

"Don't blame me," Dani replied. "This was your idea."

"Prepare to be amazed!" the Amazing Solomon shouted, as several people in the crowd began to disperse already. "For I, the Great Solomon, am about to astound and mesmerize you with my feats of wonder and magnificence!"

"I thought he was the Amazing Solomon?" Sam whispered near her.

Dani shook her head. "Changing his name the moment the public shows interest. He's already preparing for Hollywood."

"But first!" the Amazing Solomon went on. "I require a volunteer from the audience. Someone out there who is prepared to expect the unexpected."

No one came forward. "Someone who's mind is open to new and unexplained possibilities."

The food court was falling silent now. The Amazing Solomon sighed as he reached into his coat pocket. "Someone who is prepare to accept a ten dollar bill?"

The stage was suddenly rushed as several people in the audience charged the stage. "One at a time, foks!" the Amazing Solomon said happily, chuckling under his breath.. "One at a time, please!"

"This is taking audience participation to a new low," Dani noted, not moving an inch.

"Hey, it is ten bucks," he pointed out.

Together, they looked at one another at the same time. "Good point," she mused. "I'd be willing to split it with you."

"Agreed. On three?"

"Three!"

Dani and Sam both rushed up the stage at the exact same time. As they were doing this, Dani caught wind of some shouting coming from the other end of the food court. As she turned, two familiar-looking figure came running up her way. The smallest one knocked her aside and back into Sam as he ran past, quickly followed by several large men being led by the ringmaster.

"Come back here, you little punk!" the ringmaster yelled, waving several papers in his hand. "That lion cage was clearly marked with a 'Do Not Enter' sign. Any injuries you may have suffered are forfeited by this business. You have papers to sign!"

"Not again," Dani groaned. "Sorry about that, Sam. You can let go of me now."

"Oh, right," he blushed, releasing her.

"What are you doing?!" the Amazing Solomon hissed, as Wes took cover behind him. "Get away from me, kid. You're bothering me!"

"Get back here," the ringmaster barked. "I know the law, and you have to sign this!"

"Bite me!" Wes shouted back.

"You little..."

"You both are wrecking my act!" the Amazing Solomon snarled, grabbing towards Wes. "Take this kid and get off my stage before..."

Wes kicked the Great Solomon in the shins while he was arguing with the ringmaster, and quickly slipped from his grasp. The ringmaster saw him leaving, and moved to seize hold of him. In his haste, he wound up knocking his magician backward. With only one leg to stand on, the Amazing Solomon couldn't regain his balance in time.

"Look out!" Dani cried.

But it was too late. Solomon's leg became tangled in a stage wire as he fell backwards. With no way to catch himself, he was thrown clear into one of the stage props resting upright behind him. The iron madien slammed shut with a resounding noise that made the entire audience fall silent.

No one moved.

"Well," Sam tried, looking grim. "That was unexpected."

* * * * *

The sun had set by the time Zeitgeist made his way through the empty parking lot. The circus had already packed up it's animal rides and equipment for the night, and the mall was closed. There was but one guard standing beside the employee entrance as he made his way to it. The man didn't seem to notice anything at first, until he was right up on him.

"I'm sorry, uh... sir," he stammered, looking surprised. "But this door is off-limits to all but mall employees. Are you with the circus act or something?"

"No," Zeitgeist replied, reaching into his robes. "Just here to make an offer for one of their most recent ex-members."

The flash from the mind-wiping device put the guard into a blank stupor. Zeitgeist knew he should have plenty of time to locate what he'd come here for and make it back out before the effects wore off. And the guard would remember nothing, to boot!

Once inside, he navagated through the back alleys of the mall towards the food court. This most recent addition to the Ghost Zone wouldn't have had enough time to make his way out yet. And if by some chance he had, there were sure to be others somewhere else. It was too good an opportunity to test the Hexpurgate's latest discovery, and he was no about to blow it. The scanner strapped around his eyes clearly pointed to where the event had taken place. There, he could make out the whisp of what remainded of the Amazing Solomon. The figure now seemed quite dejected and confused, as though he didn't completely realize what had happened to him. This was most likely the case. Zeitgeist put his scanner on secondary mode and cautiously approached.

"Hello," he said softly.

The ghost of the Amazing Solomon jumped, causing him to grin at the irony. "You can see me?" he asked Zeitgeist in surprise.

"Of course I can," he replied, pointing to the visor on his head. "This allows me to see through the veil between this world and the Ghost Zone. It's how I was able to locate you."

The Amazing Solomon looked dejected. "It's true, then, isn't it? I've become a ghost. After all these years of loyal service, to be forgotten like some two-bit, second-rate act..."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Zeitgeist interrupted. "I've seen your work, and I'm familiar with the events surrounding your demise. A great magician such as yourself should not have ended his career so shamefully. I came here tonight to offer you something."

"What?" Solomon asked dejectedly, as Zeitgeist reached into his robe again. "What could you possibly have that would serve me now?"

"Revenge." Zeitgeist pulled out a glowing orb and held it in front of Solomon's eyes. "I belong to an organization of sorts, who have dedicated their lives to helping lost souls who have yet to move on. Those not unlike yourself, who expired due to unfair circumstances before their time. They sent me here as a representative to make this offer to you."

"I am listening," said Solomon, eyeing the orb with interest.

"This orb was one of our most recent projects," Zeitgeist explained. "It can give you great power, help augment and control your fledgling ghost powers, so that you make seek revenge against the ones responsible for your death. Take it with our compliments."

"And the catch?" Solomon asked, pausing as he reached for it.

"Once you've completed your task," Zeitgeist said. "You must return the orb to us with all the data it has accumulated. That data will belong to my organization for this point forward. Are we in agreement?"

"Agreed!" Solomon said greedily, as his transparent fingers clasped around the orb.

His body at once shown with a dark glowing light. The orb broke apart into smaller fragments that swirled around his body in varying rings. Slowly, each component attached itself to a part of his ghost form, spreading lines that resembled circuit boards up and down it as more pieces followed. His eyes were shining with new understanding as Solomon's feet touched the ground.

"You are now a cyberplasmic hybrid entity," Zeitgeist explained. "Your abilities for now are finite, so use them sparingly. Once you have adapted to them, they will grow exponentially stronger."

"Yes," he said, his voice making the air around him shake. "I understand."

"Good," Zeitgeist said, hungrily. "Now go, and don't forget about our arrangement."

"I won't," he promised. "My next performance is going to be a real killer. The Amazing Solomon may be gone for good, but Advada Cadaver is about to steal the show of a lifetime!"

Zeitgeist watched as Advada Cadaver soared off into the night. "Indeed," he whispered. "It's definitely going to be a show to die for!"

* * * * *

"We are gathered here this evening," Lucy began in a deep, somber tone. "To judge whether Sam LeBaron should continue on as a member of the Specter Detectors, and thereby resume assisting in the capture and containment of ghosts, following his withholding of information from his peers."

Sam looked up at her from his seat. "Was it really necessary for me to be put on trial?"

"Silence!" Lucy barked, slamming her gavel down on the table in front of her. "The accused will speak only when spoken to!"

Sam uncovered his ears and muttered softly, "I'd still love to know who gave her that gavel."

"Sorry," Michael apologized, shrugging meekly. "I didn't expect her to take to it the way she has. Shouldn't we wait for the professor, though?"

"We're starting without her," Lucy replied, evasively, before slamming the gavel down again. "I want this taken care of before she shows up, so we can prove to her that we're a conclusive team that functions together."

"If anyone should be on trial," Sam interrupted. "It should be you for stealing back our Specter Phones."

"I said, silence!" Lucy snapped, this time with a nervous twitch in her eye. "The accused is not to speak unless..."

"I agree," Michael interrupted. "Sam already made it clear that he didn't know the identity of the Class M until that moment in the warehouse."

"Maybe I did kinda suspect a little bit," he admitted, shifting in his seat. "But I didn't know for sure, honestly. And it's not like I tried to keep any of you out of the loop before. We were just preoccupied with other things. Then she shows up, and it all came together for me, then."

"You, on the other hand," Michael picked up. "Stole our Specter Phones from the Professor, removed them from the Clocktower without permission, then tried to inform the Professor that we were all guilty of the crime, when in fact you had acted on your own."

"You used them when I handed them over," Lucy insisted, slumping down a little behind the table. "That makes you both just as guilty as me."

Sam thought for a moment. "She does have a point," he admitted.

"Not necessarily," replied Michael, smirking towards Lucy. "Lucy is our field commander. During a mission, we're both required to accept and carry out any order she gives. If we were told to take the Specter Phones and come with her, our actions can only be described as those carried out by an obedient soldier."

"This is ridiculous," fumed Lucy, sitting up straight again. "Half the time I can't get either of you to do what I say, and now you're both going to use the one time it does happen against me to save your own hides?"

"That about sums it up," Michael nodded.

"Argh!" Lucy stormed out of her seat and began pacing angrily through the Clocktower. "You two are so infuriating."

"I'm sure the Professor would go lenient on you, though," Michael added, watching her carefully. "You did disobey her, but your actions were taken in the best interests of the public's safety. So long as you don't try and blame all of this on Sam, I'm sure I could convince the Professor to give you another chance."

"Of course," Michael added, as Lucy slowed down her pacing. "All of this would be a lot simpler if one of us, namely you Lucy, had been able to destroy the idol yourself and capture that grease monster, instead of being saved by the enemy and watch while she accoplished that for us."

"Speaking of which..." Sam got up from his seat, then, and cleared his throat. "I almost didn't want to bring this up, but since Lucy has already proven she's more than capable of playing Joseph Wapner, but..."

Swallowing, he turned around and faced the giant clock face behind them. "I saw her yesterday in the mall."

"The Class M?" Michael stood up as he asked this. "It was in the mall with other humans?"

"It was shopping?" Lucy marveled.

"I wish you two wouldn't refer to her as an It," he snapped. "Or as the Class M. Her name is Dani and she's a human/ghost hybrid. Somebody cloned her from another half-ghost three years ago. She's been living on her own ever since."

"She's a clone?" Lucy looked repulsed. "That's disgusting."

"Facinating," Michael contradicted. "And you say there are more of her who are half-ghost?"

"At least one other," he shrugged. "I think she said they were ex-vitro twins. Don't ask me to explain what that means, though."

"The two of them are essentially twins," Michael filled in for him at once. "They share the same DNA sequences and traits, perhaps even the same powers, but did not grow in the same womb together, or at the same time. That would imply that the other hybrid is male."

"None of which really matters," Lucy broke in, glaring towards Michael. "Because, in the end, she's still a ghost."

"Half," Sam corrected her, pointedly.

"Oh, you're only saying that because you've had a crush on her all this time!" Lucy scowled and turned away, while Michael lowered his head and snickered softly.

All three were startled suddenly by the sound of an alarm blaring. "Crap!" Lucy swore, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "I wish the Professor would do something about that alarm."

"It's C.A.S.P.E.R.," Michael informed them. "It's detected something."

"We know that, Michael," Sam replied, following him up to the Professor's console. "You don't have to tell us that every time."

"Sorry," his friend muttered, sitting down in front of the keyboard. "According to these readouts, there's a massive spike in ectoplasm somewhere downtown. Give me a second and I'll lock in on the exact location."

Sam peered down over Michael's shoulder as the map on-screen zeroed in. Lucy, meanwhile, stomped off purposefully towards the table behind them were they'd turned in their Specter Phones (again) the night before after the Professor had learned of their disobedience. One by one, she snatched them up, then marched back over to where Sam was standing.

"Here," she commanded. "Take it. We're moving out just as soon as Michael has the coordinates."

Sam reluctantly accepted his phone from her. "And what do we say to the Professor when she finds out about this?" he asked, carefully.

"For once, I'm on Lucy's side," Michael told him, punching the keyboard furiously. "This one is unlike anything I've ever seen before. C.A.S.P.E.R. is trying to make sense of these readings, but the computer's sensors are overloaded. Whatever just showed up is massively powerful. C.A.S.P.E.R. can't even figure out what it is we're dealing with."

"That means it's dangerous," Lucy nodded. "If we don't take care of it, no one else will."

"Most likely, dangerous doesn't begin to cover it," Michael concurred. "I've never even heard of a ghost anomoly that wasn't in the database, yet the program insists it's completely unidentifiable, and I've run a re-check three times already."

Sam sighed deeply. "I guess that means we're off, then. If the Professor fires us, it was fun while it lasted."

"She's not going to fire us," Michael assured him calmly, getting up. "She didn't fire Lucy after that fire broke out on Myers Street in the old Curtis house when we were looking for that skeleton ghost hiding in the closet."

"That was not my fault," Lucy insisted as they walked downstairs together toward the Specter Sled. "Those walls were nowhere near properly insulated."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nevermind," she barked, climbing on board the Sled. "It was structurally unsound, and we saved the city a bundle in demolition fees. My aim has gotten a lot better since then, and it isn't as though the Professor will let me anywhere near the Ecto-Grenades."

"True," Michael nodded, as they flew off. "Not after that incident at the day-care center."

All three raised their Specter Phones and changed at the same time. "Say, Lucy?" Sam asked suddenly. "Do you even know where we're going?"

After turning back around sharply and nearly throwing Sam and Michael from the Sled, Lucy gunned the engine and began roaring off towards the Silent Hollow mall. The moment they arrived, it became apparent that something was very wrong.

The place looked deserted.

"This can't be right," she mused, hovering overhead. "The place should be packed for the late night shopper rush. Where the hell is everybody?"

"Over there," Sam pointed. "The carnival is in town, remember?"

"Oh, right. I'll bring it down on the roof. Let's split up and search for that weird reading. Michael, can the portable C.A.S.P.E.R. unit in the Sled pinpoint where the anomaly is located from there?"

"North by northwest," Michael answered at once. "On the far end of the carnival to the left of the Ferris Wheel."

"Head there the minute we touch down," Lucy instructed, bringing the Specter Sled down on the roof. "If this thing is as dangerous as the C.A.S.P.E.R. program thinks, we have to find a way to contain it before it gets any worse. Still no clue as to what could have caused it?"

"Say," Sam interrupted as they set off. "I just thought of something. How come we couldn't use C.A.S.P.E.R. to locate Dani? As powerful as she is, it should've been easy."

"The Class M," Michael began, then corrected himself. "I mean, Dani, doesn't show up on C.A.S.P.E.R.'s scans for some reason. Which, now that we know she's at least part human, is beginning to make a lot of sense. Speaking of sensors..."

"What?" Lucy asked, as they landed side by side on the ground.

"Whatever caused that ectoplasmic flare just went off my screen. It no longer registers."

"Check again," she ordered, impatiently.

"I already did," he replied. "Nothing is there, but the last reading definitely showed something coming from near the Ferris Wheel. With respect, I suggest we head over there."

"Agreed," Lucy consented.

"You know," she added, after they'd set off. "If whatever this is can disappear from C.A.S.P.E.R., it could mean the Class M is behind it."

"Here we go," Sam muttered. "Lucy, what is it that you don't like about her? I've never heard you complain about anyone this much since that time when you wanted to go out with Glenn Lantz and I double-dated with Nancy so you could get his attention."

"You keep talking about her like she's a real person," Lucy grumbled, as they neared the area close to the Ferris Wheel. "Didn't you ever listen when the Professor was educating us? Ghosts aren't real people, Sam. They may look and act like it, but in the end, a ghost is nothing but leftovers. And leftovers get thrown out when the refrigerator is cleaned. You may want this_ 'thing' _to be real for you, but she's not. The Professor said so!"

"She's part human," he reminded her, urgently.

Lucy whirled around and snapped at him. "That doesn't matter!"

"Oh, it doesn't, does it?"

Everyone looked up at the same time to see Dani standing atop one of the carnival tents, glaring down at them. "Hi, Sam," she said coldly, her arms folded. "Surprised to see me? I almost believe for a second today that talking to you would be enough to convince you and your little posse of wannabe superheroes to back off. Guess I was wrong."

"We didn't come here for you," he said, putting his gun down. "Something else is happening at the carnival."

"I know," she said, lowering herself down on the ground. "That's why I came to take care of it. None of you can hope to deal with this thing, whatever it is."

"Did you bring it here with you?" Lucy demanded, raising her staff.

Sam quickly put his arm in front of her. "That's enough, Lucy. If she says this isn't her fault, then I believe her."

"I don't care about your stupid crush, Sam." Lucy shoved his arm away first, then whirled around to face Dani. "If she's here, that can only mean she has something to do with it. And as for you, keep away from my friends."

Dani opened her mouth to retort, but instead of words, a dark red mist wavered out right into Lucy face. At the same time, something inside of Michael's helmet began beeping like crazy.

"Oh, that's foul," Lucy moaned. "Haven't you ever heard of mouthwash. It isn't that expensive, you know."

"That's... brimstone," Sam noted, sniffing the air. "You did that once before in the Grill kitchen."

"Guys..." Michael interrupted. "We've got trouble. The readings are flaring up again, but I can't pinpoint where exactly."

"Over there." Dani pointed down past several tents towards the Merry-Go-Round. "It's headed that way."

"And how do you know?"

Dani rolled her eyes at Lucy. "It's a ghost sense," she informed her, then added quietly, "At least, that's what it feels like."

"You don't know?"

Dani sighed, hesitant to tell them anymore than she had to. "It went away a while back. I don't know why, but for about a year, there was nothing. Now it's come back, but it looks different than before. I used to get a really cold chill up my spine, but now..."

"Ordinarily, I'd be facinated by this," Michael interrupted. "And I really mean that, but our target is getting away, and if we're going to catch it, the backstory will have to wait for another time. Seriously, though, I really would love to hear more about this."

Lucy glared at him as Dani's ghost sense sent another warm chill through her. "I think something bad is about to..."

Dani was cut off in mid-sentence as the lights went out all at once. The entire carnival was plunged into total darkness. Shrieks could be heard from every direction as fair-goers began panicking.

"Do people in this town ever react responsibly and stay calm?" she wondered, watching the mob form before her very eyes.

"No," both Michael and Sam answered at the same time.

"What could have caused that?" Lucy wondered, holding her staff up.

Dani just stared at her. "You detected some sort of massive ghost on all that equipment you're lugging around and want to know why the lights went out. Trust me on this one: It was the ghost."

"We don't know that for sure," she insisted.

"It's the ghost," Dani repeated, dryly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Please feel free to keep out of my way."

"She can't tell us what to do," Lucy said indignantly as Dani flew off into the darkness. "Hey, I was talking, and you can't tell us what to do. Come on, guys."

Michael and Sam each trotted off after her obediently, looking morose. "There's no way this could possibly end well," Sam groaned, as his stomach tightened.

"Agreed," Michael nodded. "If we ever get out of this alive, there's a seasoned pass to the Green Bay Packers I've been meaning to give to you."

* * * * *

Dani levitated just a few feet off the ground, gliding over the surface of the mall parking lot in her invisible state while scanning the area. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, unless she counted all the pre-teenaged kids getting sick from eating too many chilli dogs before riding the Blenderizer three times in a row. Though her ghost sense hadn't gone off again, she could still feel whatever she was looking for close by.

"All I need now is a clue," she mused to herself, sliding intangibly through a couple, snagging their wallet almost reflexively in the process. "A smoking gun would be nice, but this mall has seen enough horror already."

Suddenly, the lights went out again. "Of course, I could always be wrong," she muttered, glaring out into the nothingness.

A single light abruptly shined down on a spot just above the center of the carnival, forming a spotlight. In the center there was a lone figure that Dani only had to stare at for a moment before recognizing. The ghost of the former Amazing Solomon made a gesture with both hands, then somehow conjured up a set of giant cards in front of him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he panned, making the cards shuffle on their own. "Tonights carnival will unfortunately be canceled in favor of a much more gratifying and tasteful performance. My I introduce each and every one of you all to... your demise!"

The cards shot out away from him, then, and went straight for several of the carnival tents nearby. Upon impact, the tents exploded in a burst of flame and noise. People in the area ran in every direction at once as the flaming tarps collapsed in on themselves, trapping a number of people inside.

"Starring yours truly," the ghost added. "Advada Cadaver!"

Dani dove at once through the tents, grabbing the people lost inside them and phasing them out. "Run!" she instructed. "Don't look back for anything. Just get out of here!"

"But..." one bald man moaned, looking back at his tent. "My stuffed animals. They're all..."

"GO!"

Dani turned around as the balding man reluctantly left to see the Specter Detectors running up to her. "You found it," Sam said, amazed. "Hey, isn't that the magician guy we saw yesterday? The one that got skewered in that iron madien?"

"I think so," she nodded, feeling uncomfortable around him. "There's something wrong with him, though."

"He's a ghost out for revenge," Lucy shrugged, uninterested. "What's so hard to believe about that?"

"Look, I'm serious," Dani replied, pointing. "Just take a look at what he's doing."

Advada Cadaver, meanwhile, had begun levitating several bumper cars up into the air. "What this act needs is a few lovely assistants," he called out to no one in particular. "Allow me to rectify that with a little trick I like to call Transmogrification!"

Energy rippled out of him and flowed into the cars, tearing each one to shreds before spinning the parts around. Rapidly, each vortex was molded into the shape of a lovely young robot, each a different color and carrying a noticable motif. "Meet Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace," Advada rounded off proudly. "Assistants, bring us some volunteers from the audience, preferably ones that are injured and terrified."

"Give it a rest, dork!" Dani shouted, before firing a blast that struck Advada squarely in the chest. "Even with ghost powers, your magic act is lame."

Advada pulled himself up off the ground where he'd landed, and squinted his eyes at her. "Those four will do nicely," he said to his newly-manufactured assistants. "Bring them to me now."

"Scatter," Dani ordered, as the five leaped through the air towards them.

"You can't tell us what to do!" Lucy replied, indignant.

"Lucy," Sam groaned, raising both of his Ecto-Colts. "Just do it."

Ace lunged at Michael with an ace-pointed spear aimed right at his chest. Michael parried it away and moved in for an attack with his glowing katana. Lucy, meanwhile, had her hands full with both Ten and King, keeping them at a safe distance from herself by spinning her staff. Each time the bo connected with one of them, sparks went flying. Lucy grinned cockily as she stood in an offensive pose before both machines.

"Two of a kind," she commented. "Not the best hand I've ever seen. Next time, bring a Royal Flush."

"I thought Ten through Ace was a Royal Flush?" Michael called out.

"Whatever!" Lucy screamed.

Dani found herself back-to-back with Sam as Jack and Queen moved in on them from either side. "I'm sorry about this," he said, lamely. "I'm sorry about everything, but would you mind giving us a hand?"

"I don't need your help," she replied. Grabbing him by the arm, Dani levitated into the air as both charged forward. Jack and Queen stopped short of colliding with one another and gazed upward with surprisingly angry expressions on their faces.

"I thought for sure they'd hit," said Sam, disappointed. "Got any other plans?"

"You really think I'd rely on something as lame as that?" Dani wondered, before raising her free hand.

Forming a ball of combustive ectoplasm, Dani tossed it straight down at the two just as Jack and Queen were leaping up at them. The ball collided with their metal bodies and exploded on contact, filling the air with a sound not unlike a car being run through a trash compactor.

"Now, that's a plan," boasted Dani, confidently.

"Great," Sam gulped. "Would you mind putting me back down on the ground now?"

"What's wrong?" she teased, setting him back down slowly. "Afraid of heights?"

"Very," he confessed, unashamed. "Being on the Specter Sled while Lucy drives is hard enough. Thanks for your help."

"Thank me later," she said, pointing towards his teammates. "We've still got those three to deal with, plus the ringmaster of this little circus."

"Leave the stooges to Michael and Lucy. They can handle it. Besides, my guess is, if we can get rid of the Mad Hatter over there, those other clowns will disappear."

"That only works in cartoon shows," Dani dismissed. "But okay, we'll try it your way."

Dani swooped down at a distance, ignoring the queasy noises coming from Sam, and leveled off just a few feet above the concrete. Up ahead, Advada Cadaver was cackling madly at the scene unfolding before him, totally oblivious. Dani held tightly onto Sam as he raised his guns and fired a full charge. The sound of the twin guns going off was enough to get his attention, but it was still too late.

"Eh?" was all he managed to get out before the blast knocking him flying in an arc through the air, crash landing inside the mall.

"I think he landed inside Burstyn & Blair!" Sam said, pointing. "We should go after him. The others will catch up once they're done here."

"Oh, goodie," Dani retorted, as they flew off into the air again. "So, once they're done shooting at those guys, you team back up with them and go back to shooting at me?"

"Trust me," Sam pleaded, then gulped. "Um, could you please not fly so fast?"

"No time," she replied, before plunging down into the hole in the ceiling left by Advada Cadaver.

"Ouch!" Sam howled, when they crash-landed against the floor. "Rough landing, much?"

"Sorry," Dani apologized, getting up. "In case you haven't noticed, it's pitch-black in here. I can't even tell where the floor is."

"What?" Sam sounded confused as she stumbled around helplessly. "Can't you see in the dark?"

"No, I passed over that superpower in favor of gaining the ability to naturally charm people with my good-looks and personality. Wait, are you telling me you can see in here? How does that work?"

"Built-in Ecto-Vision," Sam answered smugly, showing her the glowing visor on his helmet. "Standard issue."

Dani glowered. "I hate you."

Sam only laughed at that. "I'd go back and get a refund on that charming personality if I were you."

Suddenly, the lights flickered on. "Why am I not reassured by that?" Dani wondered.

"Dammit! Hold on," Sam cursed, staggering backwards into a mannequin that was dressed in surfer gear. "Bright lights screw up the Ecto-Vision settings. I'll have to turn it off for now, but that means we can't track the robo-ghost."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," said Dani, as a red wisp of vapor floated out of her mouth. "He's here."

Advada Cadaver's laughter rang out through the store as Sam and Dani stood at each other's back. "Why do ghosts do that?" he wondered, keeping his gun leveled.

"Shh!" Dani warned him. "Look out!"

Dani shoved Sam out of the way and ducked down, just barely avoiding several blast that instead struck the mannequins behind them. Dani looked over her shoulder in time to see the life-sized plastic dolls coming to life, their eyes glowing a sick, red color. One spun it's head around rapidly while another belched out flames from it's mouth at her. Dani rolled out of the way, crashed into a perfume display, and raised up soaked in a very strong-smelling fragrance.

"Ugh," she moaned, noting her perfume-soaked ghost self. "I really hate coming to the mall."

More mannequins sprang to life and began attacking as Dani launched ectoplasmic blasts their way. Everything in the store became a weapon as she hurled it back and forth. Sam kept out of her way and did his part by taking out the ones she missed. Each time they scored a direct hit, the plastic soldier would collapse in a pile of disassembled limbs. Advada Cadaver would only reanimate them from his hiding place, however, and send them back towards her and Sam again. Each time, his creations grew more and more bizarre. Several of them were walking backwards on mismatched arms and legs, almost like spiders. One came down from the ceiling directly above Dani, but Sam spotted it in time and shot the mannequin spider zombie to pieces.

"Thanks," she said. "Now what do we do? There's too many of them."

"I've got the Polter-Vac with me," he said, laying down a spread of continuous fire to give them some breathing room. "But it won't do us any good if we can't locate the source of our troubles."

"There's also that funky armor he was wearing," Dani added, forming a shield to push some of the mannequins back with. "Something tells me we'll have to remove that, and might I suggest a very large can opener?"

"I was wondering about that myself," said Sam, as they climbed their way up one of the display cases. "Where did he get that iron underwear from, anyway?"

"Radio Boutique?" she suggested. "Listen, I think I know how we can draw him out, but first..."

Dani was cut off as the lights went out again. "Now what?"

As if in answer, a disco ball was lowered from the ceiling. At the same time, multi-colored lights began flashing around the room as a heavy techno beat was pumped in through a set of massive speakers overhead.

"What does he think he's doing now?" she wondered. "Starting a disco club?"

The possessed mannequin zombies seemed to think so. After staring at one another for a moment, Advada Cadaver's army began to dance and sway awkwardly to the rhythmic beat. All Dani could do was watch helplessly in confusion as the battleground quickly dissolved into an after-hours rave. Some of the mannequins began stumbling into one another as they danced, resulting in several pile-ups on the ground that only fused back together into even more strange creations that kept right on dancing as best they could.

"Okay," Dani sighed. "Exactly when did I begin losing my mind."

"It's not you," Sam reassured her. "Haven't you ever been into Burstyn & Blair before?"

"No, and this is reaffirming my suspicion that it's a good thing!"

"They usually keep the lights low and play music during shopping hours. The good news is, I think I can use my Ecto-Vision now to locate Advada Cadaver and put a stop to all of this. Just keep them off of me for a few more seconds."

"I think they're a little distracted right now," she informed him, as several mannequins attempted unsuccessfully to breakdance. "Make it snappy, though."

"Just a moment..." Sam told her, scanning the room. "THERE! Behind that shelf of 'Possessed' fragrance!"

Without missing a beat, Dani fired a blast right into the display. The entire stack of perfume shattered, along with sending something invisible bouncing across the floor and into a wall.

"I got him," she said, taking to the air. "I owe this magic man one final dance tonight before the club closes."

Sam watched as Dani Phantom began laying into the cybernetic ghost, shattering his components left and right. Screams, followed by several short explosions filled the darkened room, until finally something vaguely round bounced past, and Sam realized with a jolt that it was Advada Cadaver's cybernetic head. Dani held up what remained of the once fearsome and threatening ghost, now reduced to tears and only so much semi-transparent vapor.

"I think you can take it from here," she told him, getting out of the way.

"You got it," Sam nodded, whipping out the Polter-Vac.

Advada Cadaver attempted to run, but the stream of sucking energy grabbed hold of him, yanking him hard down into the Polter-Vac's interior. Sam shut the machine off with a satisfied look in his eye, then lowered it as Dani walked slowly over to him.

"Thanks," he said, simply.

"No problem. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"Me either," he said. "So, does this mean we could be friends now?"

Dani surveyed the damage around the room. "Stranger things have happened," she admitted, before glancing up at the disco ball still spinning overhead. "Much stranger."

Sam opened his visor so Dani could see his face. Putting the Polter-Vac away into his belt, he extended a hand in friendship towards her. Dani hesitated only for a second, then shook it warmly. Taking to the air once again, she waved goodbye once before phasing through the roof. As he watched her go, Sam heard noises heading his way, and look cover behind a support beam that'd managed to survive their onslaught. All the mannequins had fallen apart the moment Advada Cadaver's armor was destroyed. He readied his guns nonetheless, but lowered them a moment later as Lucy and Michael entered the scene.

"There you are!" Lucy declared. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"We took care of things at the carnival," Michael informed Sam, removing his helmet. "But the energy signature from the ghost just disappeared all of a sudden."

"We captured it," Sam replied, giving the Polter-Vac a light jiggle.

"We?" Lucy wondered.

"Me," he told her. "And Dani Phantom."

Footsteps suddenly echoed in the area outside the store. All three turned around at once with their weapons at the ready. "More ghosts?" Sam wondered, keeping his guns drawn.

Lucy had her staff at the ready. "If it is, we're ready for them."

"It's somethng much worse, I'm afraid," Michael told her in a grave voice. "It's mall security."

"Oh," said Lucy, swallowing hard. "In that case... RUN!"


	4. Episode 4 That Old Gang of Mine Part 1

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 4

That Old Gang of Mine

(Part 1)

_"They will make you an offer you won't live to refuse!"_

by Ri-kun

"This meeting of the Hexpurgate shall now come to order," the elder councelor said, banging his gavel on the desk loudly.

Zeitgeist struggled to keep the sneer off his face. He was sure the senior council member had done that merely to look intimidating. Judging by the looks on the others' faces, they hadn't been impressed, either. A few looked taken back, but he chalked it up to very good acting, and made a note of it for later. No one inside the castle antechamber took the Hexpurgate elder serious anymore, particularly his faction.

"We have been called here tonight for a matter of some urgency," the elder went on. Even he sounded disinterested. "Our primary order of business for this meeting is to discuss the recent actions of one Dr. Cagliostro Cortege, Hexpurgate codename: Zeitgeist."

Predictably, everyone in the room turned their focus to him. Zeitgeist took it well, remaining calm under their scrutiny. The elder, watching him carefully for a moment, acted as though he expected for him to fall to his knees and beg for mercy. Zeitgeist merely folded his arms and waited for the old man to continue. When he at last did, it was with a sour look of personal defeat on his face. Zeitgeist had to suppress a snicker once more as he listened carefully. Agitating the old bastard was one thing that never got old.

"Zeitgeist, you've been charged with the unapproved act of removing a registered E1D3 Cyberplasmic Orb from the confines of a Hexpurgate laboratory for your own personal usage. Furthermore, it's come to the attention of the senior council that you failed to return said item, and that it has been recently destroyed. Is this correct?"

"It is," he answered calmly in a neutral voice.

The senior council member stared down at him. "Do you have anything else you would like to add?"

"Nothing... sir. Please, do continue."

That threw the old man off. "Very well," he resumed. "For your actions, this council has decided that the only course of action is to..."

"Excuse me," Zeitgeist interrupted. "I'm sorry, but my I add something?"

The councilman sighed. "I was under the impression that you had nothing further to add concerning your charges."

"That, I had nothing else say," he affirmed. "What I was wanting to know from the council was, since when had I been placed under arrest?"

"What do you mean?" the old man demanded. "This council has the right to try any member based on sufficent evidence."

"Granted, but where is the evidence of my crime? Furthermore, since when has the council held court during a general meeting of the Hexpurgate instead of the official chamber amongst a jury of my peers, and for that matter, where is the representative for my defense? Why call a meeting in order to pronounce sentence for a crime I only heard about today?"

The old fart sputtered. "Are you denying these charges?"

"What charges?" Zeitgeist demanded. "I was not aware council approval was required to remove a device that had been designed and crafted fom one of my departments. Yes, I took the cyberplasmic orb, only to have it stolen later. I am assuming this is what you keep referring to."

"Very well," the councilman went on. "Where is the cyberplasmic orb now?"

"Destroyed, as you had already stated before. Apparently, it was taken by a ghost bent on a vengence tear. It managed to wreck havoc at the local mall, but the matter was taken care of. I understand you aren't aware of the group that was involved in the incident, so I won't bother bringing that up for now. My connections in the local police department did manage to retrieve it for us, along with the data analyzed by the orb itself, which I just so happen to have on me."

"You allowed a manical free-forming Class 3 spirit bent on a quest for revenge to endanger the public?"

"I allowed nothing. The matter has already been resolved. No one can trace the incident back to us, and my department now has in it's possession vital data pretaining to the function and nature of the orb itself. The Hexpurgate has gained invaluable knowledge that will be of great use to us in the near future, and beyond. I fail to understand what the council is so concerned about, frankly. I have managed to take a lemon and squeeze lemonaide from it."

Zeitgeist turned to the crowd and addressed them dramatically. "If this is a trial, then I ask of my peers, where is it that I am at fault, precisely?"

The elder was beginning to lose his cool. "I think you fail to see the point we're trying to make!"

Zeitgeist grinned at last, knowing he'd won. "And what point would that be?"

"The point is that..."

* * * * *

"...you're putting the whole team in danger!" Lucy declared, furiously.

Everyone in study period turned a the same time to look at her. Lucy shifted her eyes away uncomfortably, then glowered towards Sam as if it were all his fault. Several students giggled as their teacher, Mr. Addler, came stomping down the aisle towards them. Mr. Addler was a middle-aged man who wore a bad brown tie everyday and the same worn shoes, and forever seemed to drift just out of range from a complete psychotic episode. His face stayed a prepetual shade of red year round, regardless of weather or temperature. His right eye had developed a nervous tick that caused him to blink rapidly every few seconds, and he always seemed to be shouting, no matter how quiet or well-behaved his students were.

"_MS_. Myers," he spat at her. "A _STUDY _period is _INTENDED _to be for _STUDYING_! I _SUGGEST _you do so."

"Yes, sir," she responded quietly, waiting until he'd walked off before wiping the spittle off her face. "Yuck!"

"Towel?" Michael offered, whispering to avoid the same fate. "I keep one for just such an emergency."

"Thank you," she said, gratefully accepting. "That is so gross."

"MS. _MYERS!"_

"Sorry!" she whispered. "Sheesh, if I talk any more quietly, I'll sound like that poor cafeteria lady after she found that rat in the chilli mix. Anyway, like I was saying, you're putting the whole team at risk, Sam."

"I don't see how," Sam replied, taking the towel from her after she was finished to brush off the bit that'd landed on his arm. "Since school started back, we haven't had the time to go on patrol like we could over the summer. It'd be a big help to have somebody else on the team, and who better than someone who already knows more about ghost hunting than we do."

"She does not know more about ghost hunting than we do!" Lucy yelled.

"_MS. MYERS_!"

"Sorry!"

Lucy lowered her head and continued whispering. "She does not know more about ghost hunting than we do. Being some kind of freak lab accident does not make one an expert in the field."

"Why do you keep calling her that?" Sam demanded, though in a very hushed tone. "She's never done anything to you. In fact, the handful of times she has seen you, you were in some kind of trouble that she happily bailed you out of. I don't understand why you insist on hating her for no reason."

"No reason?" Lucy exclaimed.

_**"MS. MYERS!"**_

"Sorry!" Lucy put a hand over the corner of her mouth. "How do you know this isn't some sort of a trap. She could've been sent by some super-secret group of anti-ghost hunters in order to gain our trust and wipe us out from the inside. She's already got her hooks into you by acting all coy and innocent. What do we know about her?"

"Quite a bit," Michael admitted, softly. "Thanks to Sam. I think meeting her would be a good idea. I was going to bring it up the next time we met with the Professor, actually. There's probably a good bit she could tell us."

"Just don't try and dissect her, okay?" Sam said, half-joking.

"We don't dissect guests," Michael replied, loftily. "As a man of science, it wouldn't be polite."

"You're both nuts," Lucy moaned. "Michael especially for calling himself a man now."

"Ms. Myers!"

"I WASN'T EVEN TALKING LOUD THAT TIME!" Lucy screamed, standing up in her desk.

Mr. Addler stared at her angrily from the front of the room as he held up an empty glass fish tank. "It's your turn to clean the iguana tank, Ms. Voorhees."

Lucy sank back down in her seat. "Oh, right," she whispered, meekly. "Sorry."

* * * * *

"This has been a long time coming," Dani whispered, surveying the opponent in front of her. "It took a lot of work, and back-breaking labor to get this far, but we're finally here. This is the home stretch. From this point on, I can't predict what will happen next. For all I know, one of us might not walk away alive."

Taking a deep breath, she strode over to the recently rebuilt motorcycle. Several replaced parts, even more cleaned and retooled, as well as a brand-new paint job, had left it sparkling in the overhead sun. The junk yard was deserted, as usual. No one ever came here except for the caretaking, and he was almost always asleep. Dani was familiar with his patterns, and knew it was unlikely for him to wake up before late afternoon at the earliest. Furthermore, the man could sleep through a hurricane soundly. She was safe to practice until then.

Dani had never rode a motorcycle on her own before. It would've been too dangerous to practice in her neighborhood. Some of the local residents were likely to wander out in the street to see what all the racket was and wind up getting hurt. That, and the noise itself had become synonimous with trouble lately. For these reasons, she'd taken the bike to a relatively secluded area where no one could get hurt, and more importantly, no one would laugh should she make a fool of herself.

"Okay," Dani stated, climbing aboard. "This shouldn't be too complicated. I mean, the magazines I pieced together from the dumpster made it sound easy enough. First thing I have to do is push down on the clutch... Wait, was I supposed to release the kickstand first and then push down on the clutch, or is it the other way around?"

Dani sat there for a moment, feeling very foolish. "I knew I should have brought those leftover magazines with me. If only those bums hadn't needed them to keep their fire going last night. Stupid late-night cold front!"

As Dani said this, she accidentally slammed her foot down on the kickstand, releasing it. At the same time, her thumb pressed a small switch on the right handle bar, starting the engine with a roar. Panicking, Dani squeeze both handles, kicking the bike up on one wheel. The machine let out a terrible sound like a jaguar snarling, then took off in-between the giant piles of metal and junk that made up the city salvage yard. Struggling to maintain control, Dani managed to keep the bike more or less steady despite how it wobbled. Several frustrating minutes later, she seemed to have things under control.

"Say!" she congradulated herself. "This is pretty darn easy. I wonder why I was so worried."

Dani closed her eyes for a split second to save the feeling of absolute freedom. Only flying came close to being this good, and Dani found herself enjoying this all the more just because of how distinctly similar, yet seperate, it was. Opening her eyes, she raised up in horror at what she saw ahead of her. Someone had left a rather wide plank lying halfway atop a stack of barrels. The lower half was resting on the ground, forming a makeshift ramp.

"Ack!" she cried out, panicking. "Now I'm worried! What else could go wrong?"

As if in answer, a rain of blast fire came firing down on her from above. Dani rolled her eyes upward as she tried to avoid them, causing the bike to drive recklessly out of control.

"Of course!" the half-ghost moaned. "Anything else?"

Dani turned the bike hard to dodge a blast that would've taken out the the front wheel. The bike swerved hard, ran itself up on the wooden plank, and roared off up into the air in an arc. Dani screamed as she found herself sailing through the air over the junk yard. Pushing away her fear, she gripped the controls and fought to bring the bike down safely.

"I should really stop saying that," she muttered, as the bike began to head back down. "You know, for such a heavy piece of machinery, this thing sure can catch some high altitude!"

With those words, the bike abruptly plummeted. "But not for long!"

More laser fire came as she angled the front wheel. "Who keeps doing that?" she wondered. "Ah, to hell with this."

Raising back, Dani shifted forms, letting the twin rings encircle her body from head to toe. At the same time, she let her power travel down through the bike as well, almost instinctively. The same rings parted halfway down the bike, travelling front and back across it. At once, it turned intangible along with her, allowing Dani to make a perfect landing on the ground without so much as a scuff on the paint. Speaking of which, Dani noticed as she brought the bike to a stop it's altered appearance. The paint job was very different now, sporting a stylish alternating green and black job, with the same DP emblem from her chest decorating the sides.

"Cool," she grinned, gunning the engine. "Looks like I've got me a Phantom Cycle. Now, let's see if this won't help out against..."

Dani froze, looking up. The salvage yard had gone dead quiet, save for the sound of distant snoring come from the caretaker's shack. Dani gunned her engine again, hoping it was draw out her mysterious assailant. Nothing happened, however, not so much as even the squeak of a rat, which was even more suspicious. Looking down, Dani hesitantly opened her mouth. Not a wisp from her ghost sense, either, which meant it was back to being erratic again, or her attacker was far enough away not to trigger it. She still found it odd that it had returned after so long. Many of the powers her 'cousin' had developed through the last few years were still far out of her league. When her ghost sense had vanished, it had scared her enough to worry that her body was dissolving again. Now it was back, having gone through some bizarre transformation she had yet to work out.

A can rattled behind her. Turning on the bike, Dani Phantom let out an Ecto-Blast that struck the intruder squarely in the chest, sending him flying back into a pile of old soda cans anxiously waiting for their recycle date. Sam looked up at her cross-eyed as he stumbled out of the pile, looking harried.

"I guess I should have knocked first," he slurred out, swooning. "Too bad there wasn't a door."

Dani leaped off her bike, transforming back into her human guise in the process, and stomped angily over to where Sam was trying to come to his senses. "You know," she spat out, furious. "I can't figure any of you guys out. One would think, after saving your hides a total of three times, you'd get the message and learn I'm not a bad ghost. Up until this point, I've tried to go easy on you, but if this is how you and your little band of misfits want it to be, that's just fine by me."

Dani raised a hand, it glowing it barely contained ectoplasmic fury. "What?" Sam wondered, coming to his senses very quickly. "What are you talking about? There's nobody else here but us."

"Oh, yeah? Probably because your friends are waiting somewhere farther back to take me out from behind," she countered. "Someone just tried to take a shot at me, and the minute that stops, you suddenly appear out of nowhere."

"I didn't appear out of nowhere," Sam responded, defensively. "I used the back gate. It was unlocked."

"Okay... So, how did you know where to find me?"

"That part's easy," Sam said, putting out a small, hand-held digital readout. "It's called a SEER: Spectral Ectoplasmic Electronic Readout. A human/ghost hybrid is pretty rare in these parts. Even thought I didn't have much data on you, with C.A.S.P.E.R.s help, I reconfigured it to your specific wavelength and it lead me here."

Dani blinked. "You were able to do that?"

"Hey, you barely know me!" he replied, then added sheepishly, "I was only able to do it because Michael showed me how. He's the brains of the group; the one with the katana? You've seen him before."

"Of course," Dani replied. "A girl can't help but stop and admire another guy's big, glowing sword from time to time."

"I'll pretend that statement meant nothing to me. But, yeah, Michael showed me to to do it over the phone. I had to be careful because Lucy and the Professor was both at the Clocktower. Now, what's this about someone attacking you?"

"Like I said," Dani answered, turning around. "It happened just before you showed up. I was riding my bike through the salvage yard, when someone opened up on me. I was too busy keeping myself from crashing to see who it was. I'd thought maybe you guys were back."

"I guess I can't really blame you for that," said Sam, looking off to the side. "We didn't exactly get off on the right foot. My friends and I have never met a half-ghost before, much less a ghost that protected people from other ghosts. I came here today hoping there was some way I could make it all up to you. In fact, I was hoping you might want to team up with us sometime."

"Team up?" Dani laughed. "You mean, hunt ghosts together?"

"We could do that. Or, just hang out every once in a while."

Dani laughed again. "I don't think that would be such a great idea. From what I've seen so far, whenever we get together in the same room, somebody fires a shot, and usually a monster shows up afterwards bent on rampant property damage and high in saturated fat."

"The Moonrise Grill's cooking oil is not high in saturated fat," Sam defended. "And for your information, the others are slowly coming around. Last time at the carnival, no one was shooting at you. And today, Michael was talking about wanting to meet up with you sometime, and even went so far as to say disection would not be allowed."

"Just what every girl wants to hear," she said, rolling her eyes. "Your friend Michael must have a real way with the ladies. And the only reason that other girl wasn't shooting at me was because there were too many other things for her to go trigger happy with. Thanks, but no thanks."

Dani climbed back on her bike and gunned the engine. "Hop on," she told him, after a moment's silence. "I'll give you a ride home."

"I can walk," Sam informed her, eyeing the bike longingly.

"You walked all the way over here," she challenged.

"Fine, I took the bus," he admitted, getting on board. "But I walked here from the bus stop, and it was a very dangerous trek. Virtually every sidewalk I stepped on had a pothole in it, and had been very-poorly maintenenced."

"My hero."

The bike roared off with Sam on top of it, seizing Dani by the waist to keep from falling off. "Um, sorry!" he said quickly, blushing. "It's just that... well, we're going kind of fast right now."

"That's the idea!" Dani called back, speeding up even more. "Man, I really love this machine."

"It's an awesome bike," he admitted. "Um, but we're kinda coming up on a building there."

Dani just smirked. "Trust me," she said, revving the engine. "I know what I'm doing... I think."

Sam gulped and closed his eyes, but couldn't resist peeking. Dani was making a beeline for the solid wall, her face set. Try as he might, Sam couldn't figure out what she was up to.

"Brakes," Sam told her, as the building drew closer.

"I see it," she replied, steeling herself.

"Um, brakes," he repeated.

"I see it!"

"BRAKES!"

Dani pulled back on the handlebars and kicked the bike up off the ground. Sailing in an arc, it landed with both wheels flat against the wall, squealing as they spun for purchase. A second later, they found it and took off. Dani let out a shout as her Phantom Cycle roared up the side of the building. Taking a sharp turn before they hit the roof, she then drove sideways down across it, all while Sam clutched her waist tightly, his embarassment long gone for the moment in favor of self-preservation.

"You can look now," she assured him.

Sam opened one eye and peered down. "Yikes!" he squealed. "How are you doing that?"

"This? This is easy. Lets try something a little more advanced."

"What?" Sam gulped. "No, nothing else, please. My bladder can't take anymore of this!"

"Well, you should have thought of that before we left. Hold on tight and don't let go. Time to find out what this baby can really do!"

Dani roared the engine and pulled back as they reached the corner. Instead of driving around it, she concentrated on the bike beneath her and allowed her ectoplasmic spirit to spread down through it. It happened much faster and more easily than she expected. In seconds, they were both airborne, riding the bike through the sky alongside the rooftops of Silent Hollow. Smiling, she took a moment to enjoy the view before hammering down on the accelerator and zooming off into the afternoon sky.

"Wow," Sam breathed. "This is incredible. Way better than the Specter Sled. I gotta ask again; how are you doing that?"

"I think it's because the bike used to belong to the leader of that werecat ghost gang," she said. "It's just a guess, but since this thing was already owned by a ghost before, it can do things normal bikes wouldn't be able to, at least not without help. I know there were a couple of parts that didn't look like they'd been put on by the manufacturer. I just left them alone and worked with what I had."

"That's amazing. I didn't know ghosts could do this. Hey, there's my house down there!"

"'Kay," Dani nodded. "Hold on tight again, but try not to grab anything you aren't supposed to this time."

"Oh, right," Sam said, turning a deep crimson. "Sorry about tha..." Sam's words were cut off as the bike plummetted into a nose dive. "...aaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttt!!!"

Dani pulled up hard before the bike could crash into the pavement. The bike's wheels screamed again as they spun on the concrete, echoing through the whole neighborhood. Several dogs began barking wildly, while an old woman's cat hissed and began clawing frantically all over her rocking chair with her still in it. Dani turned the bike on it's side, skidding to a stop in front of Sam's house.

"That was amazing," Sam gasped, opening his eyes once more. "Lucy would never let me drive the Specter Sled like that. You'll have to give me some tips for next time, okay?"

"There's no substitute for experience," she informed him, patting the front of the bike affectionately. "I'll have to get some myself someday."

"Yeah," Sam replied, glancing away nervously. "Listen..."

Sam winced as the sound of glass breaking rang out from within his house directly behind him. Sam turned towards it uncomfortably as loud, angry voices rang out. In spite of the noise Dani's bike made, each word was punctuated to where the entire street could heart it. Sam hung his head sadly as Dani looked on.

"I'm sorry," he told her, looking miserable. "It looks like my folks are fighting again. I'm gonna have to go inside and see if they don't need a referee."

The sound of more glass breaking made him wince. "Or maybe a warden."

"It sounds like they're really going at it," she noted, unfazed.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, as the shouting grew even louder. "See you around, I hope."

Dani waited outside on the street until Sam had entered his home amid the sounds of more arguing before driving off. As she sped off down the street, her thoughts remained focused on the boy she'd left behind. More than anything at the moment, she was worried about abandoning him there. As a born and bred street rat, Dani had encountered many a child who'd made a run for it because things at home had gotten rough. What concerned her even more was that she'd made a friend. Dani rarely stayed in one town for too terribly long. It had gotten to where she liked the wander lust, but without even thinking about it, she'd already begun to see Silent Hollow as a home. It was more than a little odd, not for the least of which was the fact that Sam's friends had attacked her more than once now. Granted, he'd apologized for their behavior, but she couldn't imagine the other two coming around.

Dani spotted someone up ahead standing in the middle of the road, blocking her path. Curious, she slowed down and came to a stop a few yards ahead. Calyco raised her head up, allowing Dani to see her face, and grinned wickedly.

"You fixed the bike," she noted. "Nice paint job. It handles real well, doesn't it?"

"That was you in the junkyard," Dani accused, throwing the kickstand down. "I should have guessed that a cat would attack from behind."

"You're right," the cybernetic werecat ghost said, still grinning. "It was spineless of me. That's why I came out of the shadows to meet you head on. I wanted you to know it was me coming for you, and I will be soon."

"Facinating," Dani quipped, leaning casually on the handle bar and looking bored. "I hope you come up with something better and lower in cholesterol this time. I may never touch fried shrimp again because of you."

"I will," Calyco assured her. "And how about you? Riding around with humans, taking him home on your new toy. I would think even a half-breed would have better respect than that, but it looked to me like you were actually making friends with him. Isn't he one of the ghost hunters that wrecked a whole library trying to shoot at you?"

Dani raised an eyebrow. "Who told you about that?"

"Nothing in this town stays a secret, girlly," she laughed. "Not for long, anyway. I know all about your little ghosthunter friend, and the crowd of losers he hangs around with. Do you really think he'll be of any help to you when I finally make my move? For that matter, would he even bother helping you? You're from two different worlds, girlfriend. No way is he going to keep sticking his neck out on your behalf, especially considering his teammates want you dead. Or, something anyway."

"I can take care of myself," Dani said, threateningly. "And I'm ready right now if you want to have a go at me."

"My time," Calyco told her. "And my way, of my chosing. You'll know when it happens."

Dani gunned the engine as Calyco faded away, invisible. "Anytime your ready."

* * * * *

Calyco stalked through the back alleys of the slums, sniffing the air every so often, waiting for the wind to kick up the scent she was searching for. Extending her foot-long crimson claws from her cybernetic hand, she raked them sideways across the brick wall alongside her as her eyes scanned through the piles of garbage. With each step, the sound echoed up to the rooftops. Her target was close by.

"You can't hide from my sensors," she called out. "I know you're somewhere nearby. Either you come out now, or else when I find you, I'll have to hurt you more than a little for the time you've made me waste. It's your choice, of course, but I'd rather make this quick. There's somewhere else I could be."

Calyco turned her head slightly as a slightly breeze carried the scent she'd been searching for. Turning around, she found the target standing directly behind her at the mouth of the alley. The tall, thin black male was clutching a gnarled walking stick in both hands, keeping it out in front of him. His face was totally voice of fear or unease. If any part of him found her appearance unsettling, it didn't show up on her scanners.

"You Twigs?" she questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"I am," he said, nodding her way politely. "I understand you were looking for me."

"You look like a reasonably intelligent man," she told him, stalking forward. "They call you the Street Prophet in these parts, because nothing in this town happens without you knowing something about it. I want to know something, and you'd better have the right answer."

Twigs sighed. "Very well. What is it you want to know?"

"Dani Phantom," Calyco said flatly. "Where can I find her? She lives somewhere in the slums. I want to know how she can be found."

"That," Twigs said. "I will not tell you."

Calyco held her claws under his chin, just a hair's breath from his flesh, threateningly. "Do you know what I could do to you, old man? Tell me where she is, or your skin will fetch a fine price on the open market."

Twigs laughed, not moving. "You couldn't get a nickel for my wrinkled up old hide," he informed her. "And as for what you can done, it doesn't bother me one bit. I am an old man, as you've already deduced by this point. After what I've experienced, there's little you could do to frighten me."

"Don't underestimate me, pops!"

"And you should not underestimate me, young lady. Alive or dead, there's no excuse for bad manners. As it happens, I don't know where Dani Phantom could be found. She keeps her hiding place a closely guarded secret. However..."

"However?"

Twigs took a deep breath, considering something for a moment. "I might be able to point you in the direction of some people who could help you locate her. It won't be easy to convince them. They've been out of your line of work for a while now."

"Everyone on the street has their price," she scoffed, pulling her claws away. "Even you."

"Oh, I expect nothing in return," he replied, shooing her away gently. "And please do not drop your guard around the slum's favorite girl. She is by no means someone you should take lightly, as I suspect you've already guessed."

"Like you care!" Calyco hissed. "Don't try and lecture me on ethics right after you sold someone out for nothing."

"You won't be able to take Dani Phantom on, even with assistance," Twigs said, confidently. "No matter who your allies are, she will still persevere. I have complete faith in her."

Calyco was genuinely confused. "Then why tell me this?" she wondered.

"Dani Phantom does not belong here," Twigs answered, looking away sadly. "Places like these have a way of tearing people down slowly over time. It isn't always noticeable, but eventually, everyone gets their backs broken. Tragically, she will be no exception. Dani Phantom deserves a chance to be happy. Perhaps, this way, she can be convinced to seek a life away from us. I'm counting on you to be the key to showing her how dangerous being alone is."

"Don't count on me for anything," Calyco scoffed, marching off. "Except to put her in the ground where she belongs."

Twig remained standing in the same spot, a knowing grin barely containing his laughter. Less than a minute later, he heard Calyco's footsteps stomping irately back towards the mouth of the alley. Without looking around, he called out to her.

"Third and ninth," he answered, as she stood behind him, embarassed. "Look for the old storage house with broken bars on the window. It's one of the only buildings in that whole area that isn't burned down, so you can't miss it."

Calyco turned away. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

It was much later than expected when Calyco finally did locate the building. Most of the street signs in this area had been stolen, and the remaining ones were barely legible. Still, it was the only building in this section of the slums that wasn't burned up. There had apparently been a big fire in the area at some point in the past. Calyco shrugged this off and marched determinedly towards the front door. There were sure to be traps, but if she wanted to get these people on her side, a quick show of muscle was in order. Assuming that didn't work, she could always go to Plan B.

Kicking the door in, Calyco stood in the frame for a second, then launched herself into the air. Several mid-air summersaults and a few high-flying backflips took her to the center of the room, where she landing spinning in a three-sixty degree angle, her claws flashing in the darkness. Nothing within range of her scanners detected life of any kind. Had they, she would have cut it to ribbons in a heartbeat.

Calyco stood there, frozen in that pose, for a moment longer. When nothing happened, she slumped her shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "Great," she mumbled. "A performance like that, and nobody bothers to notice."

Something occured to her. "Am I even in the right place? This IS the right storage building, right?"

"Hey, what's all that racket down there!"

Calyco pounced before the speaker could blink. In a flash, she had soared just over the top of his head and bisected the hat there. Turning around as she landed, Calyco let out a snarling hiss at him. The elderly ghost stumbled while floating in mid-air and glared at her, before reaching down to claim the remaining pieces of his beloved hat.

"What the hell is the matter with you kids today?" the old ghost fussed. "You can't just go breaking into people's home like this and jumping around like some crazy cat on a hot tin roof. In my day, young lady, we had a little something called 'respect', you know what I'm sayin'?"

Calyco could only stare, utterly bemused. "Well, say something already!"

"Quit your yappin'!" came another voice from somewhere overhead. "You both make enough noise to wake the dead. Case in point, you woke me up right in the middle of my late evening nap."

Calyco looked up as another elder ghost materialized. "By the way, I think I left the oven on last night. Be a dear and go check for me."

Two more ghosts appeared. The three lowered themselves slowly to the ground, surrounding her. Calyco could only stand there slack-jawed as they hovered a few inches above the ground, glaring at her in consternation.

"Well?" the second one demanded. "If you're going to break into someone's home and make such a ruckas, the very least you can do is introduce yourself. Hey, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

The old ghost barely moved in time. Calyco sliced the air between them, almost cutting him into vertical quarters. "I think she's the strong silent type," the first ghost whispered to him.

"I really hate that joke," she hissed. "And this has got to be the worst one I've ever seen. What the hell is this place, a ghost retirement home?"

"We are the Ghostfellows," the second one declared, as though that explained everything. "I am Vito. This gentleman next to me is Sonny. Then we have Hagen over there, and beside him is Fat Peter."

Calyco did a double take to make sure she was seeing things correctly. "He's Fat Peter?" she said, disbelievingly. "He's barely an inch thick. I've seen bars on pet cages that weren't as malnurished. How in the world did he wind up with a name like Fat Peter."

"It's a long story," Vito told her. "And involves a great deal of Slim Fast. Anyway, who might you be, and what brings you here?"

"They call me Calyco," she explained, eyeing each of them suspiciously. "I was sent here to find out whether any of you could help me take care of a little problem I've been having in a permanent way. Although, now that I've met you, I'm beginning to wonder if it wouldn't be better just to challenge them to a rousing game of Bingo."

"Hey, I love Bingo," Hagen spoke up. "Somebody get the chips out of storage. I'm feeling lucky tonight."

Calyco's head hung. "Forget I said anything. This was a complete waste of my time. Get me to get out of here!"

"Oh, don't get your tail in a knot," Vito scolded, floating behind her. "We're only having a bit of fun. It hasn't been easy living here for the past fifty years with nobody else to talk to, especially a young lady such as yourself with such unique talents. What's this I hear about you having a problem that needs permanently fixing? We can help."

"Yeah," Sonny added. "We used to be really good at fixing problems. Until... we forgot how."

"Quiet!" Vito snapped. "Listen, none of us might be in our prime anymore, but if somebody sent you here, that must me you need all the help you can get. So, why don't we all just sit down and have a nice chat with each other. We could order out. Just don't ask us to try and consume any pasta. Sonny's got a very delicate constitution, if you know what I mean."

"It's genetic!" Sonny shouted back, embarassed.

"I must be daft for even considering this," Calyco moaned, feeling the desperation in her growing. "In fact, I know I am, but what the heck? It's not as though I've got much to lose, except maybe for my dignity."

"And a subscription to Better Tombs and Graveyards," Sonny added. "That's our service charge, you see. I hear they're coming out with a new swimsuit issue sometime in the next twenty years."

"Fine," she grumbled, still unsure as to whether this was a bad idea or not. "Whatever. There's this halfa..."

"A what?" Sonny wondered.

"A java, I think she said," Hagen replied. "The lady wants us to go out for coffee, it looks like."

"Not java! Halfa!" Calyco bit. "There's a halfa running around that I have a score to settle with. Problem is, she's recently made friends with a ghost hunter who put away an old gang I used to run with, which is why I can't go to them for help. If I try to take her on, there's a good chance he'll show up to un-even the odds. I'd like for you to get him out of the way so I can take care of her."

"A halfa?" Hagen said, eyes narrowing. "You ain't talking about that little tart what showed up here in the slums a little while back, are you?"

"Right," Calyco nodded. "She calls herself Dani Phantom."

All four Ghostfellows glanced at each other. "So I take it you understand who I'm talking about," Calyco mused. "That saves me some trouble, since none of you look like you'd be able to remember the name without post-it notes, otherwise."

"That dame has been a thorn in our side since she moved into this area," Vito declared. "We used to run these slums until she showed up making trouble and getting all the good folk here to start disrespectin' us. If that's the tart you want taken out, consider us all on board. We got our own score to settle with her."

"Absolutely," Sonny agreed. "And you don't even have to pay us the swimsuit issue fee. This one's on the house."

"Dito," Hagen said. "When do we start?"

"Immediately," Calyco said, rubbing her paws together. "Here's the plan..."

* * * * *

"Yo, Sam!"

"In a minute, Mr. Graves," Sam promised, turning away from his Specter Phone. "I've still got two more minutes."

"A minute and forty-two seconds!" Mr. Graves corrected. "And none of that matters when we've got customers backed up out the door and a staff member out sick because of voodoo hoodoo nonsense. Get your butt in gear and start firing up the grill. These people are hungry!"

"Don't bother, I heard," Lucy said on the other end. "I guess it's a good thing the Professor doesn't have us on patrol tonight. Michael and I usually have our hands full when you're busy."

"You know that isn't true," he scolded, gently. "The two of you could handle anything on your own. You're always reminding me of how much I screw up. I was a little surprised you called, to be honest."

Sam dodged out of the way as a kid holding up his prize from the Moonrise Wolf Pack meal skid past. "I thought you were still mad at me."

"I am," she reassured him. "But forgiveness is one of my better qualities. Besides, you'll come around as soon as she does something horrible behind your back and you get your heart broken. We both know what terrible taste in women you have."

"That's only happened a couple of times," he began.

"Four," Lucy stated, plainly. "And that isn't including what went on with that Mikaela business back in eighth grade. Face it, Sam. When it comes to women, you have about as much of a clue as you do with math homework."

"Dani isn't like that," he told her, whispering. "I wish you would give her a chance. Just last night, she offered me a ride home on her bike."

"Oh, crap!" Lucy swore. "You showed her where you live. She has your address now?!"

Sam took a deep breath. "Look, Lucy. My break's almost over with. I'm gonna let you go for now. Call me later after I've clocked out, okay?"

"Sam, this is serious..." Lucy shouted into her end of the phone, just before Sam hung up on her. Turning his phone off, he pocketed it and went around the counter to where Mr. Graves was frantically punching buttons into the register.

"Blasted new-fangled techno junk," he growled, slamming his fist on the keyboard. "I already entered the programming codes twice today. What's it going to take before this piece of crap works right, huh?"

"Here," Sam said, gesturing him aside. "Let me handle this. You go into the back and start prepping orders for me. I'll get everyone sorted out up here."

"Stupid overblown calculator," Mr. Graves mumbled, stomping to the back. "In my day, things worked the way they were supposed to because it was simple."

"Sorry about that," Sam apologized, once Mr. Graves was out of earshot. "What can I get for you?"

"Lesse..." The older male scratched the stubble on his chin and gazed up at the menu. "What do you want, Wes?"

"Just a Wolf Pack meal," the kid named Wes told him, looking disenterested. "Fries and grilled shrimp with it, too, if that's okay."

"Roger that," he nodded. "One Wolf Pack meal with fries and grilled shrimp, and I want a Doublemeat Sizzle Stacker with shrimp, hushpuppies, and an order of tater tots. And make both orders to go, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Sam assured them, punching the codes into the register without any problems. "Anything else?"

"I want a strawberry soda mixer malt, too!" Wes chimed in.

"Alrighty... say, don't I know you from somewhere?"

Sam took a closer look at the kid. "Yeah, you were at the mall that day the carnival was in town. The ringmaster chased you onto the stage during that two-bit magician's act, right before he fell backwards into the iron maiden. He was screaming at you about signing some kind of contract or..."

Sam stopped in mid-sentence as he caught the look on Wes' face. The man standing next to him was looking down, wearing a sort of knowing glare. "And, your total together will be $12.75 Hope you enjoy your meal, and have a nice day."

"Let me guess," the man said, fishing his money out. "He was chasing ghosts again."

"He does this a lot?"

Val nodded. "And I'm guessing something happened. Again."

"The guy falling into the iron maiden wasn't my fault, Uncle Val," Wes insisted. "It was an accident. Besides, that ringmaster was a jerk, and I was nowhere near the tiger pit at the time he said I was."

Val looked at Sam. "I don't wanna know, do I?"

"Here's your change," Sam said, by way of response. "Have a nice day."

Sam spent the next ten minutes running like mad from place to place, trying to keep up with Mr. Graves and prevent a riot breaking out. Most of the people there were starving, and wanted their food NOW. Sam was on the verge of pulling his hair out as the register froze up yet again, as three shady-looking men in trenchcoats walked up to the counter.

"Yeah, we would like four orders of pasta penini, along with everyone in the room to lay down on the floor spread eagle."

"Yes, I'm sorry, sir," Sam told them, not looking up. "Our register is messing up on us. Please have a seat and we'll get your orders out to your table in just a minute, along with..." Sam raised up. "Say what?"

All three trenchcoats fell from their shoulders at the same time, revealing the Ghostfellows underneath holding machine guns in their withered, prunish hands. "You heard me, young wippersnapper," the tallest one said, aiming his gun at Sam's head. "Get everyone in the building spread out on the floor. Make it snappy, too, cuz none of us here is getting any younger."

At the sight of three heavily armed ghosts, the people inside the Moonrise Grill did the only thing that could be expected of them. They panicked and ran for the doors. Most of them did, in any case. The young boy named Wes stood up on the table he and his Uncle Val were sitting at and began jumping up and down excitedly, crushing his uncle's drink in the process.

"See?! See!? I was right! I was right! Ghosts really do exist! Wait 'till I tell the rest of the gang about this!"

Val wiped the soda off his face and snatched Wes up in his arms. "Time enough for that later," he said, running for the doors along with the rest of the panicked crowd. "Assuming we can get out of here alive."

Sam saw the Ghostfellows aim their machine guns towards them. Looking around frantically, he spotted the stack of trays used to put food on next to him, and snatched some up. Without thinking, he hurled them all at once across the countertop at the Ghostfellows. The trays passed harmlessly through them, succeeding only in drawing their attention back to him. Val and his nephew made it to the doors and were gone. Sam, however, was left inside as the ghosts advanced on him.

"Brilliant," he muttered, backing away. "Your a professional ghost hunter, and the first solution that comes to your mind when the situation requires calm decisive action is to pick up a bunch of plastic trays and throw them. What else could go wrong?"

"What's going on out here?" Mr. Graves demanded, marching around the corner. "I thought I heard a bunch of people screaming out here. Please tell me it's nothing like last time, because if I have to buy another mop to clean up acid vomit..."

Mr. Graves turned in front of same to the Ghostfellows, who targeted their guns onto him as well. "Holy smokes! There's more spooks in my place. What the hell is going on here?"

"The others got away," Fat Peter told Vito, floating up beside him still wearing his trenchcoat. "Sorry, I was in the bathroom. My fiber medication kicked in suddenly, and well, you know how it is."

"It's quite alright, Fat Peter," Vito assured him. "We only needed the kid anyways."

"Wait, you're name is Fat Peter?" Mr. Graves asked, pointing. "How'd you get a name like that? You've gotta be the thinnest one out of the whole bunch!"

"We know that already," Vito groaned. "It's a long story."

"And involves quite a few nutrition bars," Sonny added, secretively.

"Nevermind that now," Vito cut in, moving to the front. "We have some business to attend with this young man over here. Assuming he cooperates, you's can go on about your business with no more interference from us. If he doesn't, though..."

Vito paused. "Well, we forget that part. But I'm pretty sure it's quite unpleasant for people, so it'd been best if he cooperates."

"YOU brought these spooks into my place?!" Mr. Graves demanded, looming over him. "I can forgive one time, but this is taking it too far. You're getting your pay docked for this, do you hear me?"

"I've never seen these guys before!" Sam insisted. "I know as much about this as you do."

"The wippersnapper's being straight with ya," Vito informed him. "We were hired out by a second party to locate a certain ghost hunter. The kid here knows who she is, so if he'd be so kind as to give her a ring, she can come down here, and everything gets squared away all nice and neat-like. So, how 'bout it, junior?"

"You want me to call..." Sam hesitated, and swallowed the lump in his throat. "What if I refuse?"

Vito, Sonny, Hagen, and Fat Peter all leveled their guns at Mr. Graves head, who looked down into his eyes. Sam turned away before he could see what was there, and pulled out his Specter Phone. Mr. Graves grabbed his arm as he withdrew it, and shook his head.

"Don't," he told Sam. "An old geezer like me, I've done lived my life. Besides, do you really think I wanna go home tonight and explain this mess to her? Letting them shoot me would be the less painful option."

Sam smiled weakly at him, then pushed the Send button. "Make sure you tell her she's to come alone," Vito added, as the phone rang.

Sam nodded. A few seconds later, Lucy's voice came through on the other side. "What is it now, Sam?" she demanded, absentmindedly. "I know Mr. Graves didn't let you take another break so quickly, so what's wrong? Did your little ghost friend show up and try to haunt the..."

"Listen to me!" he hissed, glancing up at the Ghostfellows nervously. "I've got a problem. Four ghosts just showed up here at the Moonrise Grill and scared off all our customers. They look like... well, they're dressed like a bunch of old fossils from bad gangster movie."

"Hey, we resemble that remark!" Sonny barked.

"Of course you do!" Mr. Graves jumped in. "What the heck is that supposed to mean, anyway?"

"Hey, he sounds a lot like us," Hagen noticed. "You interested in a job opening?"

"So?" Lucy wondered, meanwhile. "Just hang up and use your Specter Phone to take care of them. Do I have to explain everything to you? Even you wouldn't have too much trouble dealing with a few non-corporeal gerriatrics. So long as you don't try and make friends with them, I mean."

"Mr. Graves is here," Sam explained, covertly. "He's standing right next to me."

"Oh. You should have just said so. That complicates things some, but not by much. I'll call Michael and the Professor, and we'll get right now there. Try and keep them preoccupied. Have Mr. Graves ramble on about what life was like when he was your age. They can sit around a table and swap stories."

"There's one other problem," Sam gulped, choking on his words. "They're asking about you."

Lucy paused for a moment. "What?"

"They came in here looking for a friend of mine, a girl who hunts ghosts for a living." Sam noticed the look on Mr. Graves' face. "Or some weird crud like that. I don't know myself, but does that sound like something you know about."

"Got it. Civilian is still earshot worthy. What would they want with me personally, though?"

"Yeah, I thought so," Sam replied, continuing his charade. "But they want you to come down here. Alone."

"Alone, huh? Listen, sit tight and don't do anything stupid. I'll get help and we'll have you both out of there before you know it."

"Wait!" Sam heard the line go dead and hung his head.

"She's on her way, then?" Vito questioned. "Good. Now, all we have to do is stand around and wait."

"You're floating," he pointed out.

"Shut up!" Sonny snapped at him. "Stupid kids think they know everything."

Sam and Mr. Graves jumped slightly as the phone on the counter rang out, loudly. "I won't tell anyone about that if you won't," Mr. Graves said, looking embarassed.

"Deal," he agreed. "Should we answer it?"

"Leave it to us," Vito told him. "It's probably our business associate wanting to know how the operation is going. Hagen, answer it, will ya?"

"Sure, no problem," Hagen said, grabbing up the phone. "Welcome to Moonrise Grill. How can we help you this evening?"

"Not like that, bonehead!"

"It's me, you idiots," Calyco snapped on the other end. "How is the operation proceeding?"

"The kid was real cooperative," Hagen told her. "He made the call without giving us any trouble. The girl should be on her way here any minute now. Say, you want a sandwich? They've got some nice specials going right now."

Calyco shook her head and disconnected. "Just you wait, Dani Phantom. This cat doesn't need nine lives to take care of you."

TO BE CONTINUED............


	5. Episode 5 That Old Gang of Mine Part 2

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 5

That Old Gang of Mine

(Part 2)

_"It's nothing personal. Strictly business."_

by Ri-kun

Lucy hung up her Specter Phone, gripping it in her hand for a moment and thinking hard. After a moment's hesitation, she marched over to her bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway. Downstairs, her younger brother was busy hammering away at the piano. Both of her parents could be heard, cooing over his rendition of Chopin and applauding as loudly as possible. Immediately, the sounds of another piece drifted up the stairs. So far, the coast was clear.

Closing the door as quietly as possible, she then pressed the button to auto-dial Michael's number. After two rings, his voice mail picked up.

"'You've reached the cell phone of Michael Kruger, ladies man extraordinaire. Please leave a message after the tone, and we'll be sure to pencil you in for an appointment. Have a super-sexy day!'"

Lucy scowled as she hung up and dialed the number for his parents' grocery store. "I really need to have a talk with him about changing that," she mumbled. "Hello? Is Michael Kruger there?"

"May I ask who is calling?" a curt, older man insisted.

"It's Lucy," she explained. "Lucy Myers from school. It's kind of important. Could you put him on the phone for me, please?"

The man on the other end, whom she recognized now as his father, sighed deeply for a moment, then put her on hold. A minute later, Michael picked up, sounded anxious and breathing hard.

"Lucy?" he asked, panicky. "Hey, this isn't a really good time. We're kind of swamped here at the store. My dad is glaring at me right now, which means I don't have long to talk. Is there anyway I can call you back later? ...Just a moment, ma'am," she heard him apologize. "I'm sorry for the wait. Oh, and our register is down right now. Can you believe that?"

"Sam's been taken hostage by ghosts at the Moonrise Grill," she interrupted. "Four ghost showed up, scared away all the customers, and then held him at gun point while demanding he call me. And he can't transform and take them on by himself. Mr. Graves is with him."

"Rule number three," Michael agreed, morosely. "'Keep your identity secret.'"

"I'm going to call the Professor, but I could really use some backup right now. How soon can you get away?"

"Now?!" Michael's voice was muffled for a moment as she overheard someone yelling at him. "Lucy, we're swamped. The register still won't work right, and my dad keeps busting my butt like this is all my fault. He swears he saw me spill something on it. I'm going to be stuck here for the rest of the night, it looks like."

"Right. Right." Lucy drew in a long, deep breath. "I'm going to hang up now and get in touch with the Professor. She'll know what to do. If you can get away at some point, try to make it over to the Moonrise Grill."

"I'm really sorry, Lucy," Michael said, sincerely. "Bring Sam back alive for me, okay? I hate that I'm stuck here."

"This isn't your fault," she promised. "I'll take care of it. It's why I'm field commander, remember?"

"Why did they want you?"

"What?" Lucy asked, putting the phone back to her ear. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Why did they want you?" Michael repeated. "I mean, you're a ghost hunter and all, but the three of us generally work together. They've got Sam, and had him call you so you would show up, but why not me? Would it make sense for them to want all of us?"

Lucy paused then, considered. "That is strange."

"Yeah, make sure you tell the Professor that. Oh, crap! Lucy, I'm really sorry, but I have to go now. Keep me posted!"

Lucy held the phone to her ear a moment longer after hearing the 'click' from Michael hanging up. The silence that followed was chilling, like an ominous warning. Lucy steeled her nerves, forcing herself to be strong, and punched the button that would automatically put her in touch with the Professor. The one calming fact that held her together as she waited through two rings was that there would be someone there to pick up. The number all three of them had was to a special signal built into the Professor's chair, so that she could be reached from anywhere. The Professor answered on the third ring, sounding very impatient.

"Lucy?" she asked.

"Professor, sorry if I'm bothering you," said Lucy, very formally. "But we have a situation."

* * * * *

Sam looked out the window silently, hoping to spot some sign that Lucy and Michael were on their way. Outside, a crowd had been gathering as the police cars built up. No one had tried to storm the place so far, which was a good thing. Sam wasn't sure the cops were equipped to handle anything outside of passing out speeding sitations. From where he sat with Mr. Graves, who was steadily losing his marbles with each passing minute, none of the cops could figure out what to do. He had noticed a number of customers that had been sitting inside eating when the ghosts showed up talking with them. By the looks on the policemen's faces, none of them believed a word of what really happened.

Sam wasn't altogether surprised by this, but it only meant things were becoming more problematic. The longer Lucy and Michael waited in getting here, the harder it was going to be difusing the situation. The Professor would probably end up being involved. Sam shuddered at the thought of the lecture they were sure to receive afterwards.

"You've been mighty quiet for the past hour," Mr. Graves noted, taking a break to smoke a cigarette. "For someone who's being held hostage by a bunch of spooks, you've been reacting to all of this mighty well, son."

"I..." Sam stammered, looking away from the window. "Hey, you're not supposed to smoke in here. It's bad for you, and this is a non-smoking restaurant."

"It's my damn restaurant," Mr. Graves countered, then lowered his head at the look on Sam's face. "Fine, kid. I hope you know this was the only thing that had any hope of calming me down. I don't care too much for spooks."

"Very few people do," Sam retorted, looking around at the Ghostfellows. "What I can't figure out is why they were asking for Lucy?"

"Isn't she your girlfriend?" Mr. Graves asked. "Maybe they've got something against you, and just wanted her along for the ride."

"She's not my girlfriend," Sam replied. "And I've never seen any of these guys before. Believe me, this was as much of a shock for me as it was you. I can't work any of it out."

"Your girlfriend, I mean, your friend," Mr. Graves ammended. "She got something to do with spooks, then?"

"What makes you say that?" Sam asked, nervously, feeling sweat drip down his back. "I don't... Oh, no!"

Mr. Graves eyes narrowed suspiciously as Sam turned pale. "They were asking for my friend, a ghost hunter."

"Which brings me back to my original question," Mr. Graves said, glazing across at him pointedly. "What all do you know about this?"

"I called Lucy by mistake," Sam moaned, lowering his voice. "They were talking about my girl friend, and before you say anything, I meant my friend who is a girl. Not the other way around. She..."

"I know what you mean!" Mr. Graves moaned. "Get on with it."

"I... sort of do know someone who deals with ghosts. She was the one who warned me about the cooking oil being what was causing our customers to wig out and act like they were possessed. I thought these guys were talking about Lucy. That's why it didn't make any sense. They weren't asking for her, they wanted me to call Dani."

"Dani?" Mr. Graves said, confused. "As in, the little saucy number who comes in here every few days and orders enough food to help me retire?"

"Ummm," Sam stammered. "No?"

Mr. Graves glanced around the room, making note of where each member of the Ghostfellows were. Each one had taken post near one of the exits and was guarding it carefully. The only one left had was the apparent leader, who stood watch nearby while chewing on a toothpick. Sam suspected he was guarding them, but it seemed more like he was waiting on something else.

"I've gotta get you out of here," said Mr. Graves, after a moment. "And you tell that Dani girl she owes me an explaination for all this."

"Mr. Graves, wait!" Sam tried helplessly, as his boss and manager stood up. "Don't!"

Mr. Graves strode resolutely over to where the leader of the Ghostfellows hovered. "Oh, well," Sam mused, turning back around. "Better him than me. At least this way, I won't get fired."

"Oi," Mr. Graves said confidently.

Vito gazed down at the old man. "I can help you with something?"

"You can get outta my damn place is what you can do," Mr. Graves retorted. "I've had about enough of this. First you come in here, scare away all my customers, and start ordering my help around like they owe you money or something. No one gets to boss the boy around, 'cept maybe for me."

"That's comforting," Sam muttered into his hand. "And to think, I was thinking about saving him just now."

"Fat Peter. Hagen." Vito pointed down at Mr. Graves as the two hovered over to him. "Take this fellow to the back. Maybe he should have a little time to himself and cool off. Sonny, keep an eye out the window in case the coppers outside get stupid. And watch the kid over there. We don't need him trying to play hero or nuthin'."

"Right, boss," Sonny saluted.

"Get your hands off me, you crazy spooks!" Mr. Graves howled as he was raised up off the ground. "This is a non-flying restaurant. Don't make me call the Surgeon General on you!"

"Well," Sam mused, as he watched Mr. Graves being cartered off. "That solves my problem of how to transform without my boss watching."

* * * * *

"I said, let go of me!"

Mr. Graves was dropped rather abruptly onto the tile floor in the back of his kitchen. Looking up, he glared into the yellow, glowing eyes of Vito, showing nothing but distain. Vito met this with an indifferent expression, however.

"I feel as though we may have gotten off on the wrong foot," he spoke softly. "You and I, we are not like the others who came from our generation. We were taught to value things like respect and honor. I feel as though you and I share a common bond."

"Stow it, spook." Mr. Graves spat to illustrate his point further. "I want you out of my place. You and your kind aren't welcome here."

Vito laughed. "No, I suppose we aren't. But what exactly do you plan on doing about making us leave, eh?"

Mr. Graves' eyes darted towards the front of the Moonrise Grill. Vito caught the look in his eyes and laughed. "The little punk outside? Sonny's got him covered real good. I gotta hand it to you, though. He seems like a good kid. Real well-behaved, but since you got yourself so hot under the collar, why don't Hagen here drop you off inside the freezer for a bit to allow you some time to cool off. The rest of us shouldn't have any trouble keep one punk kid in line."

"The thing about us teenagers is, we never do learn."

Vito turned at the sound of Sam's voice. A blast from one of his Ecto-guns sent him flying. Hagen and Fat Peter dodged out of the way as a hail of energy fire rained sideways through the kitchen at them.

"Move, Mr... sir!" Sam yelled, keeping the gunfire going. "I'll hold them off while you get out of here."

Mr. Graves crawled down on the floor beneath the blasts. When he reached Sam's feet, the old man gazed up in shock at the ensemble Sam now wore. "Sam Voorhees," he breathed, feeling faint. "Is that you, boy?"

"Sorry, sir," Sam said, coldly. "I think you have me confused with someone else. The kid ran out the side door as I was coming in. He's a nice guy, incidentally. Looked like a hard worker. You should totally give him a raise."

"There's a lot of people who've said that," muttered Mr. Graves as he crawled along past.

"Hagen, keep that punk busy while Peter and I look for Sonny," Vito ordered, firing ecto bullets from his machine gun. "When I get my hands on that two-bit shade, he's gonna wish he'd stayed in the Ghost Zone with his ma!"

"You're friend is right here," replied Sam, confidently, giving the Polter-Vac at his side a pat. "He didn't put up much of a fight, but that's what you get when you turn your back in favor of cheese fries."

"He got Sonny!" Fat Peter screamed, sending a blaze of fire towards Sam. "The punk nailed Sonny, boss!"

"I heard him already," muttered Vito. "This isn't going exactly the way I had planned. Contact the dame and let her know what's going on. Nobody said anything to me about some weirdo dressed in a crazy gizmo suit coming after us. If she wants this girly broad so badly, she can come and get it herself. We're takin' Sonny and getting outta here!"

The gun fight was taking it's toll on the kitchen. Sam could already hear Mr. Graves cussing and screaming about the damage they were causing as he dove through the storm of gunfire. His suit provided him with enough protection, but that didn't mean the ghosts' bullets didn't sting. Not to mention the fact that he was still outnumbered three to one, and was running low on places to take cover behind. Each time he poked his head up to get in a few shots, all three opened fire on him. There were just too many of them, and the others still hadn't shown up. Michael and Lucy had always been the brawlers of the group, with him providing back-up. Sam was seriously out of his element now, and needed help.

There was a crash from somewhere up front, followed by what sounded like feet hittng the floor. A shadowy figure flipped nimbly through the order window into the back, spun her staff around, and turned towards the Ghostfellows challengingly.

"Who wants to be first?" Lucy demanded. "Come on, dazzle me!"

"What in all of ghostdom?" Vito demanded, incredulously. "Who's this dame? Are they just popping up outta the woodwork now?"

"I think it may be the one Calyco told us to fetch for her," Hagen said, his head phasing up out of the counter. "You know, the halfa that's been causing so much trouble on our turf?"

"That's her?" Vito asked, as Fat Peter and Hagen continued firing on Lucy and Sam. "She looks different than what people said. You sure about this, Hagen?"

Lucy spun her staff around, sending bullets flying back at the Ghostfellows. "You sure do pick weird friends to hang out with, Sam," she taunted. "I used to tell Michael he had strange hobbies."

"Maybe they got lost on their way to a senior citizen's convention?" he offered, firing back. "Speaking of Michael, where is he?"

"Still at work, unfortunately. Stay sharp and watch my back. Without him, this could get tricky."

"She's a dame who's decked out with fancy ghost hunting gear," Vito declared, satisfied. "That's good enough for me. Peter, grab the girl and lets get our hovering butts out of here. This ain't no place for a respectable ghost like yours truly."

"On it, boss!" Fat Peter rose up into the air and raised both arms. A sticky green ecto-gel formed in his hands. Peter tossed it back and forth in his palms, dodging fire from Sam's guns all the while, making the ball grow bigger and bigger. When it was roughly the size of his head, Fat Peter tossed it directly at Lucy, who froze up when she saw it coming. Before the slimeball reached her, it spread out through the air, forming itself into a net. Lucy was swept up off her feet in it and hurled into a wall.

"Ack! Let me out of this thing!" she screamed, struggling helplessly. "I don't believe this. That little half-breed freak can phase out of a net, but I can't!"

"Keep the little bozo with the guns pinned down," Vito instructed calmly. "Hagen, collect our cargo and let us be on our way. I don't want we should miss any Matlock reruns because of this."

"Don't worry, Lucy!" Sam called out over the sound of his own guns. "I get you out of that."

"You'd better!" she warned. "Or else I'm never speaking to you again."

Hagen flew up next to her, then. Lucy narrowed her eyes and began struggling anew as he reached out towards her. "Don't you dare touch me, you dried-up, dirty old ghost. I mean it. I'm warning you."

"Ma'am," said Hagen, sounding very bored. "Shut up."

Hagen's arm reached through the net and touched Lucy. The net holding her to the wall began to glow brightly. Lucy's armor shined right along with it, making her feel light-headed. There was a bright flash, and the net disappeared, along with Lucy's armor. Reverting back to her fully human form, she had just enough time to catch the wicked smirk on Hagen's face before passing out in his waiting arms. Together with Vito, they turned intangable, allowing Sam's blasts to phase right through them.

"What about Sonny?" asked Fat Peter, joining him.

"We'll worry about him later," said Vito, not looking back. "Right now, we've got a delivery to make."

"Lucy!" Sam fired after them, but all this did was bring the roof down on his head. "I really hope I can blame that on the ghosts," he said from underneath the pile of rubble. "If Mr. Graves doesn't kill me for this, I know Lucy will. If we can ever get her back..."

Sam pushed up against the rubble pinning him down, with little result. "Assuming I can ever get out from under here. Um, help?"

In answer, the debris glowed a bright, pinkish-red and lifted itself up off of him. Sam stood up slowly, testing his limbs to confirm nothing was broken. Dani lowered the shattered roof parts off the side and was thrown back slightly as Sam launched himself into her arms.

"Dani!" he said, hugging her. "You came to rescue me."

"Um, actually," she said, backing away from him. "I just came to get dinner. There were all these police cars outside, and I got kind of worried. When nobody in the crowd was looking, I went intangible and came in through the back. What happened in here? I thought I heard people fighting."

"That was Lucy and me," he explained, changing back to normal. Dani shielded her eyes as his armor dissolved. "There were these four creepy ghosts that looked like they should be haunting a retirement home, and they talked like they were from an old movie. I thought they were here for Lucy, but then she showed up, and they took her away."

"Why did they want Lucy?" Dani wondered. "I get that you guys hunt ghosts, but why would they only take her?"

"They didn't want her," Sam told her, gravely. "I thought it was who they were talking about, but as it turns out, the Ghostfellows wanted you. Somehow, they knew to come here and look for me, only I thought they were talking about Lucy instead. Now they've gone and kidnapped her."

"Okay." Dani sighed and cleared her head. "First of all, we need to get out of here. The last thing I saw before coming in were the cops acting as though they were getting ready to storm the place. It'd probably be better if we don't get asked a lot of questions, especially about what just happened in here."

"No kidding," Sam agreed, taking her hand as she shifted them both intangible. "My boss is gonna kill me."

It was pandemonium outside. The police were running around back and forth trying to keep the crowd under control as more and more gathered around. Dani kept a tight grip on Sam's hand as she led him invisible over to the corner across the street. There in the shadows, she made them both visible again.

"That felt weird," Sam commented. "Not bad. Just... really weird."

"You get used to it after a while," she assured him. "So, what's the plan?"

"The plan was to extract Sam from the building without drawing attention to ourselves," said a voice from farther back in the darkness. "But considering you both are here and Lucy isn't, I can assume things didn't work out quite the way we'd intended for them to."

"Professor," Sam waved, sounding very relieved. "Am I glad to see you."

Dani looked over the figure coming out of the shadows towards them in the heavily decked-out wheelchair. A curtain of dark brown hair fell partly over her face, obscuring one eye. The attractive woman in her forties met Dani's eyes for a moment, as though coming to some long thought-after conclusion, then offered the younger girl her hand. Dani accepted it, however warily, and said nothing when the Professor smiled at her.

"Professor Wraitheon," she said, introducing herself. "Leader of the misfit ghost hunters you know as the Specter Detectors, as well as the one who funded and designed all of their weapons and equipment. You must be the elusive Dani Phantom. Sam's told me much about you, but I was hoping when we were at last introduced, it would be under better circumstances."

"They've kidnapped Lucy, Professor," Sam explained. "I shouldn't have called her. I thought Michael would've been able to get away from work. She shouldn't have come here by herself."

"Calm down," she said, firmly. "We will get her back. Nothing bad is going to happen to Lucy on my watch."

"Mine either," Dani promised, touching Sam's hand lightly. "We'll get Lucy back. I promise."

"Yes, we will." The Professor motioned for the both of them to follow, then turned her chair around using the control on the handle. "But first, we have to find a way of getting Michael away from his parents for a few hours. I don't not trust sending the both of you out on such a dangerous mission without backup."

"Michael was working at his parents' store," Sam explained.

"I'm aware. Getting him out won't be a problem for me. Sam, take Dani to the Clocktower and wait there for further instructions. Once I collect Michael, we'll meet up with you both there and work out our next move."

Sam nodded as Professor Wraitheon wheeled off, then looked at Dani, grinning. "Looks like I'm going to get to show you the Clocktower after all."

"Oh, and Sam," the Professor added, turning back around. "For the moment, the Clocktower's location must remain a secret. I'm afraid you'll have to blindfold her."

Dani's eyes widened. "What?"

* * * * *

Calyco stared down at the body laying bound and gagged on the hard, cold concrete floor of the warehouse. Her poison green eyes narrowed for a moment, then turned upwards toward the three remaining Ghostfellows. Silently, she flicked out the glowing, ruby-red claws from her hands, and raised them menacingly.

"And who might this be?" she asked, softly.

"That's the girl you were looking for," said Vito, sounding very annoyed. "The halfa. Funny thing, though, if she really is half-ghost, she don't act like it. There must've been two dozen times she coulda blasted us inside that dive, but she didn't do nuthing. It's like she don't have ghost powers at all."

"She doesn't," replied Calyco, flatly. "Because... THIS ISN'T THE HALFA!"

Calyco's roar forced Vito and his two partners back several feet. She took advantage of this by leaping through the air at them. Vito looked up just in time to see her bear down on him, eyes glowing red now and mouth hanging open to reveal razor-sharp fangs. With one swipe, Calyco sliced Vito in half with her claws, sending each rendered piece floating to the ground to melt into a puddle. Hagen and Fat Peter both turned around to fire on her, only their guns had been cut to ribbons as well. Calyco stomped forward, sploshing through the puddle that was Vito even as he tried to reform himself, and seized both of them in her hands.

"I wanted the ghost girl that's been stalking these streets," she hissed. "This girl looks nothing like her. She doesn't even smell like she came from the streets. I was told you bozos were the best. As soon as I'm done pounding the crap out of you, I'll go find the idiot who sent me your way in the first place. Unfortunately for you, that could take a while, so I'm going to make sure I work out as much frustration as possible before starting the search."

Calyco hesitated, then glanced around. "And where's the other one? I thought there were four of you."

"...ee atur oi ack vaz err guttim," Peter gasped weakly. Calyco loosened her gripped just enough for him to speak. "Thanks," he choked out. "I said, the other boy that was there got him. He was dressed in this weird funky armor, and had some heavy-duty hardware."

"Spector Detectors," Calyco spat. "How did they find out?"

"The kid you sent us to take hostage probably told them," Hagen offered, straightening his tie and hat. "He was the one who called this girl on the phone in the first place. We thought maybe you knew more about this."

Calyco's eyes flashed as realization hit her. "Who would've guessed?" she said, giving Lucy a nudge with her foot, which Lucy returned in kind with a scathing glare. "So I finally learn the identities of two members of the Spector Detectors, and it's a bunch of kids. What happened? Was Glee Club all filled up this year?"

Lucy struggled angrily against her ectoplasmic bonds. "Don't bother," Calyco warned. "You're nowhere near strong enough to break those. Those things would give even your little pint-sized halfbreed friend trouble."

"Oi!" Calyco turned around to find Vito hovering behind her. "Nobody walks all over Vito Ghostfellow and gets away with it."

Vito leveled a gun at Calyco's chest, who didn't flinch as his finger rested on the trigger. "Yous told us here that this was a simple job, and so far, we've seen about as far from that as it could get. Now I'm a patient man. My needs and methods are simple enough. We've lost a good man for you tonight, and it ain't our fault if you didn't give us all the information we needed. So here's what we're gonna do now."

"Oh?" Calyco said, smirking. "Enlighten me."

"If this girlie's got somethin' to do with the bozo what snatched Sonny away," Vito said, pointing at Lucy. "We gonna send a message to her ghost huntin' friend. He can have her back in exchange for lettin' Sonny go. Then, we see what we can do about taken all of 'em out in one fail swoop. With no halfa and no Hector Detectors or whatever they call themselves, this town could be ours in nuthin' flat."

Calyco lowered her claws, thoughtfully. "Okay, Vito. You've managed to keep me interested. What's your plan?"

"Plan?" Vito smirked at her. "My plan is very simple. First, we get rid of you and this dame who keeps givin' me the disrespectful eye."

"That's no good," she chided, unfazed by his comment. "You'll need to proof to them that the girl is still alive and unharmed. Otherwise, they'll keep Sonny locked away someplace you'll never find and come gunning for the rest of you. Keeping her alive means guaranteeing Sonny is returned safe and sound. And you need me yourself, Vito."

"Oh, how do you figure that?"

"All four of you were there when that kid burst in with guns blazing." Calyco sheathed her claws and met Vito eye to eye. "From the way you describe it, the odds were two to one in your favor. We've got one of them right here, but by my count, that still leaves two more. Also, my hunch says that little halfa brat will be helping them. She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. You'll be dealing with two Specter Detectors and one ghost girl. Think you could handle that much without a little extra muscle?"

Vito looked at her for a long moment, considering. "Fine," he agreed. "First we take care of the Specter whatevers, then get back to settling old scores."

"Fine with me," said Calyco, offering her paw. "Truce?"

"Truce," said Vito, taking it. "Please understand. It's nothing personal. Strickly business."

"Always."

* * * * *

"Hold on just a second. I think I've got it this time. Just... there!"

Dani sighed with relief as Sam finally untied the knot in the blindfold and raised it up off her head. The light caught her by surprise, and it took them a moment to adjust. When they at last did, she looked around curiously at where she was.

"Welcome to the Clocktower," Sam declared, proudly. "Secert headquarters of the ghost hunting troupe, the Specter Detectors. It's location has to remain secret for now. When you finally decide to join us, we can give you the official tour."

"That's nice," Dani commented. "I notice you say 'when' and not 'if.'"

"Well..."

Dani took a few steps forward and glanced around. "So this is where you hang out when you're not chasing after me with your friends in tow. I gotta say, I would never have thought to look for you here; hiding in plain sight above the police station."

Sam stared at her, slack-jawed. "What?"

Dani shook her head and pointed towards the open window leading to the outside precipice. "You called this place the Clocktower. The one one I know of in Silent Hollow is the one that's built on top of the city's police station. I've lived in this town long enough to know that much. Also, we're facing out towards the docks. There aren't that many buildings this high up with that view. Putting those things together, it was easy to figure out where we were."

"Oh," said Sam, looking very disappointed. "Well, can we skip the tour until after Lucy is rescued."

"Sure. I've already seen what a mad scientist's workshop looks like anyway. In case you'd forgotten, I was born in one."

"Right."

The awkward silence didn't take long to settle into. Try as she might, Dani couldn't let herself relax in this place. So far, she hadn't seen anything terribly unnerving, certainly nothing that would cause nightmares later on. Mostly, it was just computer equipment and tables full of what looked like half-built weapons and tools. She was guessing the Professor, as Sam seemed fond of calling her, kept her more 'scientific' research somewhere else. She could just make out some furniture on an upper level that surrounded the lab. Apparently, Professor Wraitheon lived here full time, or had decided to take her work home with her.

There was no doubt about it. This place scared her something fierce. Even if it wasn't what she'd been expecting, the smell was still overwhelming. Dani had been taken to a hospital before, when some well-meaning policemen had snatched her up and sent for an examination before she was to be put in foster care. Dani had simply waited until everyone's backs were turned before going invisible and slipping past. The confused looks on the doctor's face had been worth it, but truth be told, he wasn't the one that bothered her so. It had been the way the hospital smelled. The place smelled even worse, like a cleaning crew decended on it every five minutes ago to wipe out any traces of habitation. Vlad's laboratory had smelled the exact same way, sterile and overly clean.

Just thinking about it made her shiver. Soon, Dani found herself unable to stop. Ashamed, she looked around helplessly for somewhere to sit down, but there weren't any chairs available. She didn't even know where anything was in this place. It was so unfamiliar.

A jolt went through her as she felt Sam's hand on her shoulder. It made her jump, and she blushed furiously. "What is it?" he asked, as though afraid of her. "You look like you've seen a... Nevermind." Quickly, he let go of her. "That was a really stupid thing to say."

"It's alright," she said, her voice shakey. "I could use some air, though."

Sam hesitated for a moment, then wrapped an arm tenatively around her shoulders. "Come on."

"I hardly ever come out here," Sam told her, once they were out on the stone terrace. "The view from up here is amazing."

"You should see the city from above," said Dani. "It's incredible."

"I don't know," Sam replied. "I think I got a pretty good view of it while riding on your bike the other day. You don't still have that thing, do you?"

"Of course," she said. "I didn't put all that effort into it just to toss it out after one rough first try."

Sam chuckled, and muttered something under his breath. "What?" Dani asked.

"I said," he repeated, sounding very embarassed. "What is it with girls and motorbikes?"

Dani opened her mouth to answer, but a voice from behind them cut her off. "I wouldn't if I were you," said the Professor, rolling through the door wearing a smirk. "Let Sam wonder on that for a while longer. I think he's a little young still for that knowledge."

Michael snickered, then stood at attention at the sight of Dani. "Michael Kruger," he introduced himself formally. "May I say that it's an honor to meet you at last?"

"Mike, you've already met her before," Sam pointed out. "Remember? It was when you both came along to check out the Moonrise Grill. Lucy walked right into her."

"Ah, the memories," Dani retorted, playfully.

"Oh, yeah." Michael looked very uncomfortable, which only made the Professor smile.

"It is good to finally have a word with you," said Professor Wraitheon. "Unfortunately, we still have the matter of rescuing Lucy first. Once that's been settled, hopefully we can sit down and clear up any misunderstandings that might have occured. First and foremost, though, let me apologize for any problems the Specter Detectors might have caused for you. C.A.S.P.E.R., our main computer system, had been picking up random flare ups of ghost activity for the last month or two. We assumed it had something to do with reports of a single ghost sighting in different parts of the city. That would have been you, I'm afraid, though now I've begun to wonder if it weren't something else altogether."

"Like what?"

Professor Wraitheon turned around and rolled back into the Clocktower. Sam nodded for Dani to follow, and kept in step right behind her. Michael trailed along after the Professor dutifully, as though beside her was where he belonged.

"I don't know," answer the Professor, at last, as she came up to a keyboard. "But recent events have made me think someone else is moving subtly through the shadows in Silent Hollow. I think another force is at work, shaping things for some bigger purpose, but nothing I've done so far can make sense out of it. Lucy's kidnapping came at a rather inconvenient time, I'm afraid."

Dani leaned into Sam and whispered. "Does she always talk like this?"

Sam shook his head. "You'll get used to it after a while. She's actually very nice."

"The problem with locating Lucy," the Professor went on. "Is that they've apparently confiscated her Specter Phone. Lucy would have transformed and gotten away by now, otherwise. I can access it remotely from here and use the tracking device built inside, but the target keeps moving around. I don't understand."

"And the pattern is so erratic," Michael added, looking over her shoulder. "According to this, she's somewhere downtown, and passing right through buildings. Even with the Specter Phone's power, that shouldn't be possible."

"I take it Michael is your 'spare brain' of the group," Dani commented.

"Yeah," said Sam.

"I should take offense to that," he said, raising up. "But, you're right, basically. The Professor is the one who designed and built all of this. I mostly just tinker with some of her toys and see what works out well. The SEER was a project I'm very proud of, incidentally."

"It worked out a lot better than that new-and-improved portable Polter-Vac you came up," Sam teased. "Sprayed ecto goop all over the lab. The three of us were cleaning up after that mishap for two days straight. Good thing it was a weekend."

"Even Einstein had his setbacks," Michael defended loftily. "And speaking of good news, I think we've pinpointed where Lucy is headed. Still no clue on what's going on with the tracking system, but she's headed down Jackson Street towards Voodoo Square. We should be able to catch up with her in the Specter Sled."

"I know where that is," said Dani, transforming in front of them. "I'll fly on ahead. You guys can catch up."

"Amazing," Michael breathed. "...Could you do that again?"

"Later, playboy," Sam scowled. "We've gotta go."

"Right." Michael and Sam each took out their Specter Phones. _"Specterize!"_

Professor Wraitheon shook her head at the look on Dani's face. "Just for the record," she told her. "It was not my idea for them to say that each time they use the transformation sequence. That was strickly their genius."

"I figured as much," said Dani, nodding.

"One more thing," Michael called out, as she was about to take to the air. "Take this with you. It's a spare SEER I slapped together when I was bored one afternoon. It has a built-in communicator attuned to the frequency we use. You'll be able to talk to us that way."

"Oh," Dani said, hesitantly, as she took it. "Thanks, I guess."

Both boys watched as Dani took off out the exit into the evening sky. "I hope I never get tired of seeing that," Sam whispered.

"Same here," Michael agreed, earning him a look from his teammate.

"I like her," the Professor stated, folding her hands in her lap. "She would make a fine addition to the team. You were right about her, Samuel."

Sam looked sheepish as he and Michael boarded the Specter Sled. "Lucy will never go for it, Professor," said Michael, revving the engine. "I don't think she likes Dani much. Maybe it's just a thing between girls."

Michael looked at Sam as he said this, who turned away quickly. "Lucy isn't the only one with a say in this," the Professor responded. "We'll speak more on the subject later, once she is safe. I want you both to look after Dani. She could prove invaluable. Good luck!"

Sam nodded and held on as Michael rode the Specter Sled into the darkening sky. "I've got the tracking signal inside the SEER Dani took with her online," Michael told him. "And the signal from Lucy's Specter Phone is coming in loud and clear. We should be there in no time."

"Good," said Sam, who stalled for a moment. "So, what do you think of Dani?"

"She's smart, funny, cool, interesting, powerful, and part ghost," Michael listed.

"You figured all that out just by looking at her?"

"Oh, and she's also a major babe," Michael added, smirking. "What isn't there to like?"

"Do you really think the Professor would let her join us? I'm all for it, but like you said, Lucy will never be okay with it."

Michael fiddled with a few buttons on the Specter Sled's dashboard before answering to stall for time. "From the way the Professor acted," he replied finally. "Dani could already be considered one of us. She let you bring her to the Clocktower. How many people aside from us can say that's happened?"

"Good point."

"And as for Lucy, she'll just have to live with it. The Professor is the one who gives the final word. If she wasn't okay with the idea, nothing any of us did would make a bit of difference. You already know that. I think what you should be asking yourself is whether Dani wants to join. Speaking of which, we should be right on top of her."

"A little more to the left, actually." Dani swooped over to them and held out Lucy's Specter Phone in her hand. "I found this already. Looks like we were brought here on a wild goose chase, which means this whole setup is probably a trap. Speaking of which, we might want to get out of sight now."

"Agreed," Michael said, bringing the Sled down to a nearby rooftop. "Dani, if you wouldn't mind my asking, what is that in your hand?"

Dani petted the owl gently behind the ears. "I'm thinking of calling him Icarus," she said. "And it's a barn owl. The Specter Phone was tied to his back, which would explain why the tracer inside of it showed Lucy going through buildings."

"It's a ghost owl?" Sam wondered.

"No," Dani informed. "It was flying over the buildings, not through them. The sensors couldn't tell the different."

"Hmm," said Michael, thoughtfully. "We might want to try tweeking with them to display three-dimensionally. Strange that you would find a barn owl here in Silent Hollow. They aren't indigenous to this region."

Dani shrugged. "Someone obviously forgot to tell him that. I think he's adorable."

"Can I touch him?" Sam asked, sticking his finger out. "Hey there, little fellow. Coochie, coochie... yeowch!"

Sam jerked his finger away as Icarus snapped at it. "He nearly bit me!"

Icarus turned his head over towards Michael as the Specter Phone in his hand began ringing. Michael looked to them questioningly, then flipped the phone open. "Hello?" he spoke evenly. "You've reached Lucy Myers' phone. She's been kidnapped by ghosts at the moment, but could I take a message?"

Sam hung his head. "Brilliant, Kruger."

"I know who it is already," Calyco snapped on the other end of the line. "I was the one who taped the phone to that owl in the first place."

"Oh, sure," Michael nodded. "How can I help you?"

"You've got someone we want," she stated flatly. "Sonny, the ghost that little geek snatched up in his portable ghost vaccuum, or whatever stupid name you call it. We want him back. In exchange, we're willing to let your friend go, but you have to bring us the ghost girl. The right one, I mean. Dani Phantom."

Michael quickly put his hand over the phone's speaker. "They want us to bring Dani," he told them quickly. "We have to release a ghost of theirs you caught named Sonny and turn Dani over to them before they'll let Lucy go."

"Not exactly an even trade," Dani noted.

"No kidding," Sam added. "Mike, see if you can stall 'em. We need to buy some time."

"Sorry," Michael stammered, putting the phone back to his ear. "Uh, bad reception. These things never work well when I'm roaming. Anyway, neither of us knows where Dani Phantom is. How are we supposed to find her?"

"That's your problem," replied Calyco. "I'm sure you're little friend knows. If he doesn't, this little ghost hunter is going for a swim at the bottom of the river. You've got two hours to find Dani Phantom and bring her to Voodoo Square. After that, your friend is history. Ciao!"

Michael flinched. "She hung up on me!"

"Yeah, bad guys always want to get in the last word," Dani explained. "It makes them seem tougher."

"What did they say?" Sam pressed. "Is Lucy alright?"

"I don't know," Michael admitted. "We have two hours to bring Dani to Voodoo Square. After that, I'm assuming whatever happens to Lucy will become permanent."

"Two hours," Dani stated. "We've got two hours to locate Lucy. Lets start thinking about where they might be holding her. If they want us to meet them at Voodoo Square, then odds are their hideout must be somewhere near it."

"That doesn't leave us with a lot of clues," said Michael, gravely. "Even with that in mind, it would take days to search every area near Voodoo Square. We have to find a way to narrow down the prospects."

No one said anything at first, but then Dani snapped her fingers. "Icarus," she said, stroking him from his perch on her shoulder. "Think about it. It doesn't seem likely that the Ghostfellows would go to the trouble of hunting down a owl that isn't commonly found in the part of the country. He must've been close by. Where would they have found an owl that was near Voodoo Square?"

"The zoo?" offered Sam.

"There aren't any zoos in that part of town," Michael told him. "Keep trying, though. We're definitely on the right track with this."

"What about the docks?" Dani suggested. "Those aren't far from the Square. Icarus could have been brought in by mistake on a freighter and then hid out in one of the warehouses. Maybe the Ghostfellows were camped out in the same place?"

"It would make sense," said Michael, nodding. "Still, there are a lot of warehouses in that area. We don't have time to search them all."

"And I'm in no hurry to try," Sam added. "We had enough problems looking for that kooky idol the Professor sent us after. I'd rather not go digging through any more crates unless we know which one Lucy is boxed up in."

"We don't have to," Dani replied, confidently. "Someone else here already knows which one they were hiding in. Sam, would you mind..."

Dani froze, then turned to Michael. "On second thought, Michael, would you mind holding Icarus for just a bit?"

"What are you doing?" Sam wondered, as Michael held the bird up.

"I'm going to ask Icarus for directions," Dani replied, going intangible. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

* * * * *

"You sure that punk kid and 'is friend will be able to find that halfa girlie?" Fat Peter asked.

"Positive," said Calyco, looking slightly worried nonetheless. "That goodie-goodie can't resist sticking her fat nose in where it doesn't belong, and she'll come right to us just for the chance to play the hero." Calyco extended her claws in anticipation. "I can't wait to sink my claws into her."

"And I can't wait to pump those punks full 'a ectoplasm," grinned Fat Peter. "Hey, boss. Then, can we go camping?"

"Sure, Petey," said Vito. "Just so long as you leave the gun at home this time. Hagen, all this waitin' around is making me antsy. Go check on the girlie for us, will ya?"

Hagen just nodded and floated off towards the back. Phasing through a wall, he floated over to the girl, who was sitting there perfectly still. Her eyes shifted to the right, then left, before finally settling on him. Hagen's narrowed in suspicion as she stared at him, pupils bigger than saucer plates. Drawing his gun out, Hagen swept the room with it, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

"I guess I should've called first," Dani offered from within the shadows. "In my defense, you did give her only phone to an owl."

Dani faded back to visibility as Hagen raised his gun. "Oh, scary!" she said, recoiling in fake horror. "I can do you one better, though. Try this on for size!"

Wiping out the Polter-Vac from behind her back, Dani took aim and fired the stream directly at Hagen, who suddenly found himself being pulled into it. Dani smiled with satisfaction as the green light on the device flashed, signally that the ghost was contained. Lucy's eyes narrowed angrily as she put the device down and walked over to her. Reaching forward, her hand glowing in the darkened room, Dani grabbed hold of the ectoplasmic strip covering Lucy's mouth and pulled.

"Ow!" Lucy hollered. "That hurt. I bet you did that on purpose, too."

"Sorry," Dani said defensively, option to blast the bonds holding her to the chair with her finger. "I didn't think it would stick like that."

"Yeah, right," Lucy derided, standing up. "I bet this was all your idea, wasn't it? You think getting a few lame goons to kidnap me and then showing up to miraculously save the day will score more points with my friends? Even Sam isn't that thick!"

"Actually, no. You couldn't be more wrong. And it wouldn't hurt you to be a little more quiet. There are at least two more ghosts in the next room, along with crazy ghost cat cyborg carrying some serious hardware and more than a few anger issues."

"Bullshit! How else could you have known I was here, huh?" Lucy demanded, speaking in the exact same octave. "You just happened to know where I was being held captive?"

"No, I overshadowed the owl they taped your Specter Phone to and just riffled through his memory." Dani reached into a pocket. "And speaking of which, I thought you might want this back now. You're going to need it if we're ever going to get out of here."

Lucy snatched the phone out of Dani's hand and flipped it open. "What are you still doing with this? Did you read any of my text messages? Or sort through my email?"

"Lucy, do you have any idea how weird you sound right now?" Dani asked, folding her arms. "Look, I came back here to free you while the others distract the Ghostfellows and Calyco. We don't have long, though."

"Well, you may have them fooled, but not me." Lucy pressed a button on her phone, and it began glowing. "Once I transform, I going to give these geriatric Al Pachino clones come serious payback! _Specterize_!"

"Wait!" cried Dani, as Lucy withdrew her bo staff. "We still have a plan for..."

Lucy ignored her and crashed through the wall. "Getting out of here," Dani finished. "Oh, well. Might as well get in on some of the fun!"

Lucy came charging through the warehouse as the Ghostfellows and Calyco turned to see what the noise was. Spinning her staff, she leaped into the air and took out the first one, Fat Peter, with a hard kick. Calyco blocked the strike with her staff and sent her flying. The backhand knocked Lucy back into Sam and Michael, who toppled over into a pile.

"Lucy, you're free!" Michael cried out, overjoyed. "But, wait... I though we were sticking to the plan?"

"What plan?" Everyone cried out as ecto-blasts came raining down around them. "Take cover!"

"Lucy got a little overenthusiastic, guys," Dani explained, phasing up through the floor where they were hiding behind some crates. "Come on. We can still take these bastards."

"I give the orders around here," Lucy barked. "Plan Theta Zeta Omega Kappa 9."

Sam watched Lucy as she leaped back into the fray. "What did she say?"

Michael shook his head. "I wasn't aware that we had a Plan Theta Zeta Omega Kappa 9. Must've been in the revised books on tactics she gave to us. You know, I probably should have read that one by now."

"Never mind," said Dani. "I've got a better idea. Do you still have that other Polter-Vac? The one I was supposed to be trapped in?"

"Oh, uh..." Sam suddenly looked very embarassed. "I forgot to get it out of the Specter Sled when we got here." A stray ecto-bullet nearly caught him on his helmet, and Sam flinched reflexively. "Sorry!"

"What are we going to do now?" Michael wondered.

As if in answer, everyone looked up at the sound of a barn owl screeching overhead. Dani cried out happily as the Polter-Vac she had left in the other room fell into her hands. "Good boy, Icarus!" she praised, as he landed on her shoulder. "Now, let's show these Ghostfellows how much we suck!"

Michael and Sam looked on, wide-eyed. "Did that sound as wrong to you as it did to me?"

Sam nodded. "Uh-huh."

Lucy, meanwhile, had begun twirling her staff around in a circle. The ecto-bullets from the remaining two Ghostfellows, along with the blasts from Calyco, were ricocheting off the makeshift shield and flying in all directions. Lucy smirked from behind her helmet, proud of her defense.

"My turn, now," she declared, leaping forward.

Calyco raised an armed in response and took aim. Out from the cybernetic attachment there popped a laser blaster that quickly grew a satellite head. Calyco fired when Lucy was but feet from her. Out from the gun came a spiral burst of energy that struck her in the chest. Lucy seized up, the laser causing her to have some kind of nervous fit, and collapsed at her feet.

"Poor dismount," Calyco tisked, putting the weapon away. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to deduct points... from your head."

"Heads up, yourself." Dani took aim as Calyco raised up angrily at the sound of her voice. A stream of energy burst out from the Polter-Vac in her hands, catching both Fat Peter and Vito in it's path. The two Ghostfellows were sucked up inside, screaming and wailing all the while.

"You're next, kitty cat."

"I don't think so!" Calyco countered, throwing a disk at Dani, which expanded into an ectoplasmic bolo that wrapped around both her wrists. The Polter-Vac fell to the floor with a clatter, leaving Dani to struggle against her bonds as Calyco strode slowly over to her.

"I've been waiting for this," she said, drawing her claws out. "Time for me to... ARRGH!"

Dani looked on in surprise as Calyco's cybernetic body began to spark and smoke. Red electricity crackled all over her, causing the air to stink with the smell of burned fur. Calyco dropped to her knees in pain, hissing and screaming.

"Not now!" she cried out. "Not when I'm so close!"

"What's happening?" Dani turned towards Sam and Michael, who merely looked on, their own faces marred with confusion. "You guys aren't doing this?"

"We thought you were!" Michael replied.

"She isn't," said a voice coming out from the shadows. "But I am."

Dani backed away as the bolo holding her wrists captive fell off. At the same time, whatever was hurting Calyco began to die down. Her entire body smoking, she collapsed in a heap on the floor as a mysterious, cloaked figure stepped out into the light. His eyes, glowing red with pure hatred, leveled on Dani as she backed away towards the other Specter Detectors.

"I would have loved for her to bring you to me once she was finished," said the cloaked one. "But my instincts tell me she would not have left anything worth going over. Still, tomorrow is another day, one I plan to make the most of. For now, you and your little troop of ghost hunters may go. I shall see to it that this one receives the punishment she so richly deserves."

"Master..." Calyco whimpered.

"Silence!"

Calyco began thrashing about again. As quickly as it started, however, she lay quiet once more. "Who are you?" Dani demanded, bravely. "What do you want with Calyco? For that matter, what was all this supposed to be about?"

"You may call me Zeitgeist," he answered, ominously. "Calyco belongs to me. Therefore, I suggest you make the most of what freedom you have, because soon, the two of you will be sharing a laboratory cell together. Until that day comes, however..."

Zeitgeist made a sweeping gesture with his cloak. Something exploded near his feet, and filled the whole area up with smoke. Dani grit her teeth, then charged forward into the rising cloud. She hadn't made two steps into it when the dust already began to dispurse again. Zeitgeist and Calyco were both gone, leaving not so much as tracks in the dirty floor. Dani looked around for any sign of them, then hung her head angrily in defeat.

* * * * *

"Thank you for your help in bringing Lucy home," the Professor told Dani. "I doubt the others could have succeeded without you."

They had returned to the Clocktower without any further incidents. During the whole ride, Lucy had remained stotically quiet to the point of being rude. Dani chose to ignore her. It hadn't been her idea to ride along on the Specter Sled. As she'd informed Sam, flying was her favorite way to get around next to riding her bike. Sam had insisted, though, and to save time, she gave in to him. The ride had been uncomfortable, made even more so by Lucy's numerous attempts to throw her off with her driving. Each time she had, Dani simply levitated back onto the Sled next to Sam. After the third time, he stopped panicking about it and just smiled at her.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" the Professor pressed, following Dani out onto the stone terrace. "The others seem very excited at the prospect of us working together, overall."

"So I noticed," Dani replied, giving Lucy a pointed glance. "But I think I'm better off on my own."

"Oh, come on, Dani. It could be fun."

Sam actually looked disappointed enough that Danielle felt sorry for him. "Maybe some other time," she offered, feeling guilty for almost lying to him. "Right now, I've got a new pet to take care of, and a crazy ghost that's looking for me. Whoever that Zeitgeist was, he sounded serious when he was talking about putting me into a cage."

"You don't sound too concerned," the Professor noted.

"I've heard it all before," Dani replied, dismissively. "If you've met one crazed mad scientist ghost bent on megalomaniacal goals, you've seen them all. Before I forget, though..." Dani reached into her pocket and pulled out the SEER. "Thought I should give this back to you."

"Keep it," Michael insisted, waving it away. "It'll help us keep in touch with you. I mean, even if it were just for us to hang out sometime."

Dani glanced first towards Sam's pouting eyes, then Lucy's indignant stare. Thinking for a moment, she held up her free hand and concentrated. It quickly melted intangible, allowing her to reach inside. Dani pulled out a chip from within it, and held it up for all to see. Unceremoniously, she crushed the tracking device between her fingers into scrap, and smiled.

"Thanks," she said, before taking off.

Professor Wraitheon wiped a stray hair away from her face and smiled. "Better stay on your toes, Samuel," she warned, as he walked up beside her. "That one's going to be a tough act to keep up with."


	6. Episode 6 Shock Treatment

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 6

Shock Treatment

_"A electrifyingly good time!"_

by Ri-kun

"So, class..." Mrs. Bramm said, leveling her eyes at each row threateningly. "Despite various University studies proving the ineffectiveness of it, the Board of Education nevertheless decided to allow the Harmful Addictive Toxic Elements program to run this year. And, low and behold, because of some civic-minded, anonymous student's suggestion that it be held during my class period, there will be no exams, pop quizes, or writing assignments for the next four weeks."

Mrs. Bramm cleared her throat. "To whomever it was that recommended my class period, if they are in fact in this room, well-played. I would just like to announce that, since Literature period has been effectively shut down for the following month, you will all have twice the homework to complete in order to make up for it. As well as a spirit-crushing final the day normal class resumes."

Several students turned and glared at one another. During the exchange, Lucy Myers attempted to keep her head low and safely behind Michael Kruger and Sam LeBaron's far stockier forms. The both of them glanced back towards her, but said nothing.

"So, without further adeau," Mrs. Bramm said. "Please welcome the H.A.T.E. sponsors, Police Dog McGrowl and Officer Callahan."

The classroom door next to Mrs. Bramm was suddenly kicked off it's hinges. Mrs. Bramm let out a startled yell and backed away behind her podium as several armed security guards burst into the room. One after the other, they took aim at random students at held them at gunpoint in their desks. Michael let out a girlish squeak as one leaped forward down the aisle into a roll and came up directly in front of him. Several of their classmates started to panic. Sam was ready to jump out of his desk and attack, but hesitated when he saw Principle Kwan enter wearing a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Cool it," he whispered to Lucy and Michael. "It's Kubla Kwan."

"Attention young people," Principle Kwan announced loudly. "The school board would like for me to announce that the new budget for school security has finally been approved. From this day forth, these totally conspicious security men will be patrolling the hallways to report any subversive activity, as well as making random locker searches."

"So that's what happened to the funds for Bookmobile day," Mrs. Bramm said angrily, raising up from behind her podium.

"Nice duck and cover manuveur there," Principle Kwan leered. "Nice to see the students' safety is always on your mind."

"Blast it, Angela," Mrs. Bramm hissed under her breath. "This is a school, not a concentration camp. You're trying to run it like a facist institution."

"You're acting as though public education isn't," Principle Kwan countered. "How long have you been a teacher, again?"

Kwan turned back towards the class. "On an unrelated note, the school H.A.T.E. program will be postponed indefinately due to the actor playing Police Dog McGrowl requiring a twenty-eight day leave-of-absence due to... reasons."

"He's in detox again?" someone up front asked.

"No questions!" Principle Kwan squealed. "Resume your positions, gentleman. Students, lets get those GPA averages rolling!"

"Random locker searches," Michael groaned, leaning towards the others. "I left some of my spare ghost hunting gear in my locker. I'm going to need your help in getting it moved, because some of it's too big to fit into my backpack."

"We can't be seen doing it," Lucy warned. "Otherwise, Kubla Kwan will have some serious questions about our afterschool activities."

"Random locker searches are anything but random," Sam whispered. "Meet me by your locker during lunch break. So long as we get anything incriminating out of there before this afternoon, it should be okay."

Nevertheless, for the rest of the class, Michael looked as though he were ready to explode with anxiousness. When the bell rang, he practically leaped out of his seat and made tracks for the door, causing it to fall over again in the process. Mrs. Bramm merely waved him on wearily as the other students followed after him. Sam and Lucy were some of the last ones to leave, wanting to avoid the stampeed. Michael was waiting for them outside, gripping his backpack desperately.

"It's not lunchtime yet," Sam reminded him, before he could ask. "We're going to wait until then."

Michael looked down despondantly, but didn't protest. "I can't believe they've brought in security guards," Lucy grumbled, as they made their way towards their next class. "It's not like Arkham High is all that dangerous. People have more to be worried about from ghosts than gang violence. If anything, they ought to be throwing money at us so we'll take care of the problem for them."

"I'd love to see the funds transfer request for that," Michael joked. "'Additional money needed for school exorcisms and ectoplasmic infestation fumigation.'"

"In this town, you never know," said Sam. "So, are we all ready for this afternoon?"

"Yup," Michael nodded. "I've programmed my SEER for every conceivable possiblity. There's no way this can go wrong."

"Count me out," Lucy answered flatly.

"Come on, Lucy," Sam pleaded. "She did help save your life."

"She was probably in on it from the start," Lucy countered with confidence. "Besides, I don't see why my being there is so important. You both know what my vote is on the subject. Plus, the little freak herself said she wasn't interested. How is spending the afternoon together supposed to change her mind?"

"I don't know," Sam admitted. "But the Professor agreed that it was a good idea. None of us got off on the right foot with her. Spending time just hanging out would be great way to show Dani that we're not bad ghost hunters. I'm pretty sure she still sees the Specter Detectors as a bad thing because of how we reacted to her at first."

"No comment," said Lucy. "I've already said my peace on the subject."

"Several times," Michael added, who then ducked when Lucy drew her hand back into a fist. "Nevermind!"

"I think it would help change her mind if we were all there," Sam went on. "That's all."

"Sorry, but my decision is final. I still think..." Lucy stopped dead in her tracks as the lights all over the hallway began flickering on and off. "What? Again?"

"That's got to be the third time this week," Michael noted. "I wonder what's causing all these random power surges and brown outs over town?"

"Probably just a bunch of morons plugging in their toasters at the same time," Lucy said, dismissively. "Or something just as equally lame. Come on, we're going to be late if we don't hurry up."

* * * * *

Zeitgeist strode purposefully down the halls of the Hexpurgate's underground bunker, a scowl marking his face. With each step, he grew more and more impatient, sending waves of growing fury off his body. A young underling walked too close to him as he crossed an intersecting hallway and jumped back in surprise, as though he'd just been scalded. Zeitgeist gave no apparent notice and continued on, all the while overhead, the lights flickered on and off repeatedly.

A door to his right swung open as he drew near. One of the scientists peeked out cautiously and swallowed, seeing his superior approaching. "This had better be good," Zeitgeist warned. Though shorter than the man, there was a clear difference in stature between them. The balding man actually hunched down slightly and beckoned for Zeitgeist to enter.

"You asked us to keep you posted on any changes involving test subject 00D19," the man said, sweating. "We realigned the ecto-servo connections for the new cyberplasmic orb, but his ambient form still shows signs of rejection. In fact, it's grown worse than before."

"And this concerns me how?" Zeitgeist wondered. "Dispose of the failure and try again."

"Wait," the scientist pleaded. "We've uncovered something else. The recent power failures have been because of the test subject. It would seem the subject has learned of a means to stablize himself on his own through the infusion of electrical power."

"What?"

"See for yourself." The balding man pushed a button, opening the shield covering on the other side of the room. Immediately, the space was filled with bright flashes of light, almost as though the contained chamber held a thunderstorm within it. From the other side of the protective glass casing came violent shrieks.

"Here," the man said, offering Zeitgeist a pair of shades like the ones covering his eyes now. "You'll want to put on these to see what's inside."

Zeitgeist snatched them from his hands and slid them on. With his eyes covered, he could now see through the glass at what was going on inside. Insulated cables suspended the subject in mid-air by all four limbs. The cybernetic wiring fused throughout it's ectoplasmic shell glowed brightly as electrical energy bounced back and forth off the walls. The creature was screaming, roaring in pain as the energy began soaking into it's form as though it were a sponge. The scientist, meanwhile, summoned several of his aids and began punching buttons on the control panel.

"He's managed to hack the bunker's power generators. We've put a stop to it each time, but the subject is able to hack past our defenses. Security has been upgraded as a result, but I don't know if it will be enough. 00D19 has blown past our firewalls blocking his access twice through sheer force of will."

"That's facinating," Zeitgeist replied, blandly. "But what's this got to do with me? You said that there was some significant change. All I see is a mistake of science gone arry costing us money. If my plan was to waste energy and run up the Council members' power bill, I could have done that with a hair dryer."

"00D19 consumes far more energy than what is needed for him to remain stable," the bald scientist went on, explaining. "Furthermore, his body shows a remarking, if not outright astounding capacity for channeling and reproducing energy on a vast scale. With some slight modifications, and some behavioral conditioning, we could use him in place of the lost idol that was destroyed. He could serve the same purpose, perhaps even go beyond the range of what we'd hoped to do once the idol was in our possession."

Zeitgeist was quiet for a moment, watching the creature scream painfully in it's prison. The both the scientist and his aids began backing away as Zeitgeist continued to focus on the creature instead.

"Do it, then," he instructed, turning around to leave. "I want to see some headway on this project by week's end, or else you will be the next subject to occupy that chamber. Am I making myself clear?"

"M4 JOOOS!"

Zeitgeist hesitated in the doorway, looking back. The test subject was staring at him now, eyes crackling with power. "M4 JOOS!" it screamed again. "G1v3 m3 m4 JOOS! 3y3 n33d m4 JOOS!"

"It can speak?" he asked, sounding very unnerved.

"We didn't know it could," the scientist said, pleadingly. "It's only ever screamed before."

"J00 t4k3 4w4y m4 JOOS! 3y3 w4n7 m4 JOOS 4nd 3y3 w4n7 i7 n0w!"

Alarms sounded as light filled the inner chamber. Zeitgeist heard the sound of glass cracking as panic filled the room. "What's happening?" he demanded. "Doctor, I demand to know what's going on this instant."

"The test subject is flooding the computer security that's keeping the chamber isolated from the outside world. The air inside has become highly ionized. If this keeps up, it will be free in a matter of..."

Zeitgeist was throw backwards out into the hallway as the entire room exploded. When he regained consciousness, members of security detail were standing around him along with a medical team. Zeitgeist waved away the offered hand and stood up on his own. The laboratory had been completely destroyed, and what remained of it's members were now being hauled away in bags. He could smell the charred flesh inside them, enough that it turned his stomach.

"How long?" he asked.

"Only a few minutes," one of the guards said, saluting. "We came as soon as the alarm sounded. Sir, you should allow one of the medical teams to check you over, just in case."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "What about the project?"

"Escaped, sir. Through the electrical wiring." The guard looked frightened for a moment, but continued. "We couldn't stop it."

"The Council is going to have a field day with this one," he growled. "File a report. Doctor Koffka was performing unauthorized and unsafe experiments with Hexpurgate materials. This is what lead to the explosion, and the death of three valuable members. His family is to be stripped of all post-humorous organization privilages and transfered to Siberia. On a more important note, gentlemen, we have to get that subject back immediately."

"Yes, sir!" the guard said. "Doctor Koffka's research suggests that extended freedom would be devistating to the city, and..."

"I don't give a damn about the city," Zeitgeist interrupted. "I want that monster back in my hands before sundown. I've got big plans for it."

* * * * *

"Dude, relax. She said she'd be here."

"I know," Sam muttered, though it sounded like he didn't believe it. "I just... Does this shirt look okay, or should I have run home and changed clothes?"

"You're fine," said Michael, growing a little annoyed. "You know, if you wanted it to be a date, you could've just said so. I could always be helping my folks out at the store, or working on that book report you hadn't finished yet."

"I don't want you doing my homework," Sam replied. "If I'm going to fail, at least I'll fail by my own standards."

Michael shook his head and stepped back as an elderly couple moved to board the bus. Sam was sitting on the bench, resting after his reckless pacing nearly caused four people to trip over him. Convincing him to sit down had seemed easier than trying to talk him out of being so nervous. As it were, Michael had begun to regret coming along. Dani wasn't late yet, but the longer Sam waited, the more anxious he grew. It was looking as though Lucy's chosing to stay away was turning out to be a good thing. Michael couldn't imagine her handling this well.

"Listen," Sam whispered, looking very serious. "I know it's not important to you, but I just want to make something clear. And please don't hold this against me."

"Okay?"

Sam swallowed. "You know Dani lives on the street. I'm not sure what we're going to be doing today. I mean, ideally, if she had money, she wouldn't be in the situation she's in right now. So, if things get a little weird..."

"I've gone dumpster diving for spare motherboard parts once," Michael reminded him. "Not to mention all of the times I fell off the Specter Sled and into someone's trash when Lucy was first learning how to drive. Don't worry so much?"

"About what?" Both boys turned at the sound of Dani's voice. "What's up, guys?"

"Nothing!" each said at once.

"We were just..." Sam started.

"...wondering," Michael continued. "What you might want to do today? Neither of us has homework, so..."

"... we thought," Sam grasped, looking around. "Well, the thing is, neither of us..."

"...has any money," Michael finished. "We're both broke, and we weren't sure what you wanted to do today. We both felt real bad about it, since this is our first day hanging out together and all."

"Yeah," Sam chimed in quickly. "We wanted it to be special."

Dani blinked. "Um, guys? You both do remember that I come from the street, right?"

"We... uh?" Sam and Michael looked at each other. "Right."

Dani shook her head and sighed. "You guys are so adorable. Dumb, but adorable." Threading her arms through theirs, Dani led Sam and Michael down the street with her in the middle. Each boy glanced towards the other over her head, smiling. Sam mouthed 'that was close' to his friend, who promptly replied, 'no kidding!'

"Have either of you ever been to Voodoo Square?" Dani asked, breaking the silence.

"I haven't," Michael admitted. "My parents told me I'm not allowed to."

"Me neither," said Sam. "My older sister used to go all the time, but that was before she moved away to go to college. She always talked about how amazing it was."

"Why don't we go today? I don't have any parents, so there's no one Michael's folks can call to yell at for dragging you along. You'll just have to tell them you were kidnapped and forced to enjoy yourself against your will."

"Michael's parents are kind of strict with him," Sam explained. "It's fun to give him a hard time about, but none of it is his fault."

"Har. Har. Har," Michael joked. "Very funny."

"I won't tell them if you won't," Dani offered. "We could always go somewhere else, if you'd rather."

"No," Michael said at once, giving her arm a light squeeze. "It's time I learned to let myself have fun. So long as Sam can keep his mouth shut, we should be okay."

"My mouth?" Sam wondered, agast. "You're the one who told Stacy Hammond I was the one that threw up in her lunch box in second grade!"

Sam noticed the look on her face. "I had been sick with the stomach flu," he explained, sheepishly. "Don't worry. It's out of my system now."

"That's a relief," Dani replied.

Voodoo Square was at the end of Whiskey Avenue and just off to the left. Sam and Michael wanted to turn around and go back to the bus stop, but Dani talked them out of it. Pulling them into a nearby dead-end alley, she quickly changed to Dani Phantom and took both by the hand.

"Whoa!" Sam cried out, as they were lifted off the ground.

"You can fly other people, too?" Michael asked, incrediously.

"I'm strong than I look," she said, smirking. "Does it bother you that a girl can lift cars up over her head?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Sam. "You can kick my skinny white butt around any day of the week, if you want. This is amazing!"

"There's Voodoo Square," Dani pointed. "Prepare for landing."

"We're there already?" Michael looked down in surprise at the view from above. "That was quick. It's funny how much time you can save when you take the scenic route."

Dani landed them carefully in the shadows behind some trees and changed back. Peeking around to make sure no one was lurking nearby, she stepped descreetly out into the sunlight and motioned the others to follow.

"Boys," she said dramatically. "Welcome to Voodoo Square."

"The most infamous section of Silent Hollow," Michael quoted, bringing up the info on his SEER. "This was originally the center of the whole town. It's architecture is a mix of Spanish, French, and Victorian Gothic. In the last half century, this has become the epicenter of free artistic expression and local culture. Street performers, fortune tellers, bookstores, magic shops... You can quite literally find anything you want here."

"Including trouble," Dani warned, seriously. "Let's stick together. We don't want anything bad happening. This is supposed to be a fun day."

"Right," Sam agreed. "Still, I can't believe I'm actually here. No wonder my sister loved coming to this place. Lucy's going to be sorry she missed this. Let's go!"

For the next hour, Dani took the duo on a tour of the entire square. Having staked the area out many times before, as well as come just to unwind and enjoy herself, she knew where all the best places to go were. Michael was even willing to get his fortune told by a woman in a tent. Sam found this hilarious for some reason, only telling Dani that she would understand once she'd been around him more. During the whole exchange, the woman wore a very grim face and spoke in a hushed tone. To Dani, it almost looked like she was trying to warn him of something. Michael didn't look fazed by any of it, however, and when he stood up, Sam declared it was his turn.

Sam spent much of his time blushing. The fortune teller spoke in a slightly more normal volume with him, though she still wore a look like she was delivering someone bad news. Sam took the news harder than Michael had, but only nodded and thanked her politely when she was done. Michael, who had smiled the whole time they were watching, gave Sam a look like he knew exactly what was going on.

"You're turn," they announced, giving Dani a nudge into the tent.

The woman's eyes widened as Dani approached. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, standing up out of her chair. "But we're closed for the rest of the day. Feel free to come back some other time. We do not deal in your kind around here!"

Sam, Dani, and Michael nearly tripped over each other as they were shooed out of the tent. "Well, that was rude," Sam noted. "Talk about your customer service relations issues."

"Agreed," replied Michael, sounding just as annoyed now. "Is there a psychics union we could report her to?"

"It's cool, guys," Dani assured them. "Really. Let's just enjoy the rest of the day."

Aside from the one minor sticky incident, the rest of the afternoon went amazingly well. Sam and Michael had fun interacting with the other street performers, while Dani was content to stand back and watch them. A pick pocket tried to snatch Sam's wallet at one point, but Dani's quick eyes and even faster hands caught him by the wrist. The boy looked like he might scream, but Dani abruptly let him go. Sam gave her a small, knowing smile as they watched the thief race away back into the shadows.

"No offense guys, but I'm getting hungry," Michael complained. "And my feet are killing me."

"Same here," said Sam. "Know of any good places to eat around here, Dani?"

"I thought you guys were both broke."

"We..." Sam hesitated, then looked towards Michael. "Are. Aren't we?"

"Right!" Michael nodded. "Know of any good dumpsters?"

"Kruger!"

"I panicked," he replied, defensively.

Dani glanced back and forth between the duo. "What's up with you two?" she wondered.

Dani suddenly gulped as she felt something rise up her throat. The taste of brimstone filled her mouth at the same time a red wisp of smoke exited out through her nostrils. Dani felt the warm chill ride up her spine, causing her to shake. Instinctively, she turned towards the crowd where the source of her unease was directed. Sam and Michael followed her lead as a high-pitched scream carried over the heads of the crowd not far away. At the same time, a distinct explosion echoed, followed by more screaming, and the sound of what might have been very loud bacon frying.

"Oh, the sweet shrill cries of panicked masses," Michael breathed with relief. "They couldn't have come at a better time."

"M4 JOOS!" a voice could be heard, indistinctly. "G1v3 m3 m4 JOOS!"

As the crowd ran in different directions, the trio could make out a single figure standing still amid the chaos. Dani leaned back in shock at the sight of a lone ghost with metal cables in it's head, almost like they were dregs. Deadly-looking clawed hands sliced at the air, causing it to spark and crackle with ionized energy. Ropes of electrical power ran over a thin, lanky body that resembled some kind of metal shop student's worst nightmare. Tattoos that resembled something off a silicon chip design glowed brightly underneath.

"3y3 n33d m4 JOOS!" it screamed again. "W/-/3r3 1z d4 JOOS!"

"Isn't that..." Dani stammered, trying to form coherant sentences. "That almost looks like..."

"Like the joker we tangled with at the mall," Sam finished. "I know. It's not the same guy, but they do look kinda similar."

"Cyborg ghosts," Michael breathed. "A whole breed of them, maybe. Where on earth could they have come from?"

"What's it doing here would be a better question," said Dani.

"More importantly, what are we going to do about it? The streets are still a little too crowed for us to be seen. The Professor likes for us to keep a low profile."

"We like keeping the Professor happy," Michael added, which Sam affirmed with a nod. "It's safer that way."

Dani looked around and spotted the opening to a nearby back alley. "Down there," she pointed. "That alley is usually deserted."

"Great," Michael nodded. "But how do we lure it there?"

"I'll take care of that," she promised. "I'm not part of your team, remember, so the Professor can't get mad at me. I'll go invisible and lure it down there. You guys be ready when it shows up. And please," she added, before ducking behind them. "Don't say 'spectralize', or whatever."

"It's 'specterize,'" Michael corrected, as Dani transformed.

Dani Phantom soared through the air straight at the deformed ghost and plowed right into him. The handful of stragglers still lurking nearby took one look at her and began running away. A flying teenager was apparently more terrifying to them than a mutated ghost. Dani chose to ignore them and focus on the task at hand, at least for the time being.

"Hi," she said by way of introduction, as the ghost stood up. "If you're looking for the Ghosts Anonymous meeting, they only assemble on Thursdays. If you leave your name and number, though, they'll mail you a packet with information on where and when the meetings are."

"K1ll3rw4tt!" the ghost screamed. "K1ll3rw4tt!"

"What?" Dani wondered, dropping her guard. "I didn't catch that."

"KILLERWATT!"

"Oh, so your name is Killerwatt," Dani said, nodding. "That's... sort of predictable, actually. Still, if it works for you..."

"3y3 g07 7o hv3 d4 JOOS!" Killerwatt screamed. "1t /-/ur7z! i7 /-/ur7z s00 b444ddd! G1v3 m3 d4 JOOS s0 i7 wi11 s7op! Pl33z, m4k3 i7 s7op! i7 /-/ur7z s00 muc/-/!"

"Oh, man..." Dani whispered, reaching out towards him hesitantly. "You don't sound so well at all, do you? What happened?"

G1v3 m3 d4 JOOS!" Killerwatt screamed again. "G1v3 m3 d4 JOOS!"

"Dani, no!" she heard Sam cry out. "Get back!"

The warning came an instant too late. Killerwatt roared, threw his head back towards the sky, and electricity surged out of his body into the ground. Dani was thrown back by the shockwave into Sam and Michael as the ground all around them cracked. Power lines from down below in the sewered rose up, twisting and writhing like serpents. Killerwatt made a gesture, and the wires dove at him. Dani looked on in horror as the energy held within the wires poured into Killerwatt's body.

"M0r3 JOOS!" he screamed. "M0r3 JOOS!"

"That's what he wants?" she wondered, taking cover along with the others behind a bench.

"It would seem so," said Michael, watching the scene unfolding with growing facination. "This is really remarkable."

"That's not what I would call it," Sam grumbled. "We've gotta take care of this thing before some innocent people get hurt."

"I'm starting to think Killerwatt is the innocent here," Dani countered, watching him closely. "Look at him. He's not really attacking anybody. The only thing he's done so far is run up the city's power bill a little."

"And scare off a bunch of people," Michael added.

"And wreck our day," finished Sam.

"I'm serious. When I got close to him, it sounded like he was in pain."

Michael considered her words for a moment. "In pain or not," he said, finally. "What he's doing is very dangerous. We can't just sit here and let him drain the whole city's power. Think of the damage that would do."

"I understand how you feel," said Sam, guiltily. "But we've got a job to do."

"Guys..." Dani protested, but the boys were already leaping out into the fray. "Wait!"

"So, what's the plan?" Michael asked, drawing his katana on Killerwatt. "Strike pattern Sigma Pi three and a half?"

"I don't know," Sam replied, twirling his guns. "Lucy's the one who makes those calls. Lets just take this guy down and sort out everything else later. The police are bound to show up soon."

Sam opened fire on Killerwatt, blasting away the wires he was feeding from. Michael took out the others with his blade, at the same time striking Killerwatt as he dodged through the swipes the ghost made at him with his massive claws. One missed him by mere inches. Michael seized the opportunity by twirling around and bringing the blade down on Killerwatt's arm. The ghost roared in pain as it was sliced clean off.

"My turn," Sam called out, opening fire.

Killerwatt was thrown back as Sam unloaded a whole energy cartridge into him. Clutching the stump that had been his arm, Killerwatt lashed out with a whip composed of pure energy and brought it down. Sam rolled to the side out of it's way, however, and flung an ecto-grenade into Killerwatt's chest. The explosion lifted him up off his feet and send him flying backwards. Before he hit the ground, however, a ribbon of red ectoplasm caught Killerwatt in mid-air. Dani wove the bands around him, making sure Killerwatt was secured, before hovered down between them, glaring all the while.

"Don't make me chose between you guys and him," Dani warned. "Because you won't like the answer."

"Dani, what are you doing? Get out of the way! You don't know how dangerous that thing is."

Sam waved his guns as if to illustrate his point, but Dani refused to budge. "I think you guys are the ones who don't understand," she said. "Look at him. Does it look like he's been fighting back all this time?"

"He almost liberated my head from my shoulders," Michael countered, sounding angry for once. "I believe that counts as fighting back."

"Not when someone opens fire on you while somebody else cuts off your arm," Dani bit back. "Guys, he didn't come here to hurt any of us. In all your time hunting ghosts, have any of you come across anything that looked like this?"

Dani gestured towards Killerwatt. "That one time in the mall, and here, I'll bet. Someone is doing this to ghosts."

"And that someone would be me."

Zeitgeist walked calmly towards them through the mess of broken concrete and live electrical wires. Though his face was, as usual, concealed by a hood, the cruel smile he wore could be felt by all there. Dani hesitated at the sight of his glowing red hands and piercing eyes that shown out from the robe he wore.

"You're efforts are... commendable, Specter Detectors," he spoke. "But I'm afraid I'll have to intrude on you now. You see, I've come to collect some private property of mine that errantly disappeare earlier today. It's already managed to make quite a nusance of itself."

"You're the one who did this to him?" Dani demanded. "You made him look like this? Calyco too?"

"Don't be absurd," Zeitgeist replied, dismissively. "Calyco came to us asking for an upgrade. It was a perfect chance for me to test some of the latest theories I'd been developing. She helped advance my research by ten years at least. Since then, however, I've had to seek out and draft new volunteers for the program."

Killerwatt began snarling at Zeitgeist, and struggled to free himself. "As you can see, this one is a bit unruly."

Dani glowered. "Killerwatt is staying with me," she told him, readying herself. "And in case you've miscounted, you're outnumbered here."

"Oh, really?" Zeitgeist smiled underneath his hood and snapped his fingers.

From out of nowhere came a phalanx of soldiers that quickly surrounded them. The circle ended with Zeitgeist just inside of it, with a gap big enough behind him to prevent the weapons they were carrying from blowing a huge hole in his body. Sam gulped at the sheer scope of high-calibre gunware that was being leveled at his face. Michael backed up slightly, and looked towards Dani.

"If we give him up, Zeitgeist might let us go."

Dani looked up at Killerwatt, who was still fighting to get free from her bonds, and shook her head, no. "Normally, I might be willing to spare you," Zeitgeist spoke up. "But, you see, that one there has been on my list for a while now. I'm not sure how you two were able to find her so easily when I couldn't, but as a reward, I'm willing to let you go. In exchange, though, I expect the both of you to give up the name of your benefactor."

"What?" Sam wondered.

"Oh, stop pretending to be so naive," Zeitgeist tsked, growing more impatient. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that a handful of teenagers could invent and perfect such advanced weaponry that even the military are years from developing?"

"Well," Michael joked. "They say the school systems are doing better."

"Not that well," Zeitgeist countered. "The halfbreed and the failed prototype stay with me, but give me the name of your supplier, and the two of you can go."

Dani closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Sam and Michael were looking at her, as though waiting for her to give the orders. Surprised by this, she smiled slightly, which caused both boys to wink at her. Thinking hard, Dani glanced back towards Killerwatt. Keeping him tied up was draining her strength. That was the only reason she hadn't blown Zeitgeist and his little band of merry men across the skyline by now. As long as she was holding Killerwatt down, the rest of her powers were severely limited. Thinking this over, there was only one conclusion she could agree with. Dani nodded to Sam and Michael.

Then, raising her arms, she dissolved the ribbons of ectoplasm holding Killerwatt.

"RUN!"

Killerwatt fell to the ground on his feet. The arm Michael had severed before melted into electricity, sending static through the air as it reattached itself. Roaring, Killerwatt unleashed his power on the surrounding men. Zeitgeist leaped out of the way, shoving one of his soldiers in the path of an oncoming bolt of electrical discharge in the process. The soldier screamed as he took the bullet for him. Zeitgeist only swore and began barking orders at the few of his men that were still standing, ignoring the rest. Killerwatt leaped up high into the air and dove towards one of the exposed powerlines. Zeitgeist was seized by the Hexpurgate shock trooper closed to him as the ghost melted into the powerline and escaped.

The Specter Detectors and Dani Phantom, meanwhile, were long gone.

"Fine them," Zeitgeist ordered. "Find them now, or it'll be all of you that I take my frustrations out on."

Michael and Sam, having reverted back to their civilian forms, watched the scene unfold from around a corner at a distance. Zeitgeist was screaming at some of his men, while others seemed to be sweeping the general area.

"Ninjas?" Sam wondered, utterly perplexed. "In Silent Hollow?"

"More like ninja shock troops," Michael commented. "Given by the way they're dressed. I've never seen those uniforms before. They don't look like they're from the government. Zeitgeist said something about a Hexpurgate last time, didn't he? I wonder if these guys work for them."

"I have no clue," said Sam. "Why would a ghost have shock troops working for him? Where would he even get the money to pay them?"

"A secret organization of ghosts?" Michael offered. "As odd as it sounds, we've seen stranger things. What do you think, Dani?"

Michael and Sam both turned around, but Dani was nowhere to be seen.

* * * * *

"She flaked on you?" Lucy asked, looking very satisfied. "Can't say that's altogether unexpected."

"You're assumption is incorrect," Michael replied from his Specter Phone. "She arrived on time. It wasn't until after the ghost showed up that she disappeared."

Lucy snorted. "A lot of help she'd be in a fight, then. The first sign of trouble, and all Little Miss Half-Ghost does is make a run for it."

"All three of us ran for it," Sam corrected her again. "Dani didn't leave us until after we were safe."

"I don't believe this," Lucy shouted, growing very angry suddenly. "How many times are the two of you going to defend her? She leaves you in the middle of Voodoo Square, and on that note alone, what were any of you thinking, while a bunch of unknown weirdos are out looking for you and probably her, too. That freaky ghost Zeitgeist swore he would come after her soon. That alone should have been enough of a warning for you both to steer clear of her. Why am I the only one who ever thinks of these things?"

"Because there's only one real reason you don't want her on the team," Michael bit back, sounding just as mad.

Lucy grew quiet. "That's not very fair," she said softly.

"Life seldom is."

"Did I miss something?" Sam wondered. "Anyway, I've already called the Professor. She definitely thinks this new cyber-ghost, or whatever the hell it is, is a bad sign. When I mentioned the guys that were with Zeitgeist, she got real quiet for a second. I think she suspects something already."

"Since when do you go to the Professor first?" Lucy challenged. "I'm the field commander. You're leaving me out of the loop now?"

"The Professor superceeds all other authority," Michael reminded her. "I think Sam was right on this one."

"You do?"

Michael smiled, and covered the phone with his other hand. "Don't get used to it," he replied, after getting himself under control. "I'm sure it was just a one-time thing. But in any case, we need to find this new ghost hybrid and put it away before someone gets hurt."

"Better ask your little ghost friend first," Lucy said, scathingly. "From the sound of things, she's got you both trying to make friends with these monsters instead of locking them away. What am I going to do with the two of you?"

"Figure it out later," Sam cut in. "I'm on my way to pick the both of you up now in the Specter Sled. Michael, we'll rendevous at the usual hiding place. Lucy, I'll meet you at the front gate to your house. Don't be too long, either. I've got a bad feeling about this."

Michael was waiting for him, having already transformed, when Sam pulled up. Without a word, he jumped into the right side car and settled in. Sam gunned the Sled's engine and took off through the air before either of his parents' showed up and they were caught. Lucy was waiting for them outside her house on the sidewalk when they touched down a few minutes later. Unlike Michael, however, she was still in her civilian clothes.

"Why didn't you change already?" Sam asked, as she motioned for him to move.

"Right," Lucy chided. "I should stand out here in the middle of upper-class suburbian looking like a cross between a sci-fi convention goer and a Parisan thief. That wouldn't attract the attention of the neighborhood watch at all. Now, move over, flyboy. Nobody touches this machine but me."

Sam grumbled but slid over into the other sidecar obligingly. "What is it with girls and their machines?" he wondered, as they roared off recklessly.

"Shove it, Sam," she ordered. "We're gonna bag ourselves a ghostie freak tonight. And this time, there won't be any mistakes because you're freaky little friend isn't going to be involved."

"I'm not so sure about that," Michael warned, pulling up a map of the city's power grid on the screen in his sidecar. "According to this, there are a number of power surges going off in the slums right now. If I remember correctly, that was where Dani had set up shop."

"What would it be doing there?" Lucy wondered, steering the Specter Sled towards the slums. "You'd think a ghost obsessed with electrical energy would try and head towards the city's main power plant."

"Dunno," Michael replied, not looking up. "But there's something else, too. According to the tracking system, these power surges are following a path along the electrical lines straight to where Dani's SEER is registering. It looks like they're closing in on her."

"What?" Sam demanded, looking at him. "But Dani destroyed the tracking device in her SEER."

"Yeah, she did. But I hacked through the transmission signal and was able to locate her the same way the government can trace cell phone calls. A more important question, though, would be why Killerwatt is headed towards her in the first place?"

"Dunno and don't care," Lucy said smugly. "But we're almost there now. Hold on tight, guys!"

Lucy pushed the stick down, causing the Specter Sled to plummet. Sam managed to resist the urge to vomit and released his death grip on the sidecar to point down below them. "Look!"

"That's where Dani's SEER is registering," Michael warned. "She's inside!"

The entire building was lit up like a neon sign, flashing and humming with unreleased tension. All around them, fires were breaking out across the slums. The old, decaying buildings quickly set ablaze as electrical surges caused machinery throughout the area to go haywire. The windows down below grew bright for a second, before blowing themselves out. The building exploded right along with them, causing shock waves that threw the Specter Sled back. All three were thrown from it and landed rather crudely on the ground just a few short feet away. Sam was the first to raise up, and gazed into the flames despairingly.

"DANI!"

As if in answer, Dani Phantom rode out of the fires on her Phantom Cycle, skidding sideways to a stop in front of them as Icarus landed lightly on her shoulder, hooting with indignation.

"Dani, you're alive," Sam cried out, joyiously.

"And I'm gonna kick the butt of whoever did this," she swore. "That was my home!"

"Guys," Michael warned. "We've got a problem."

"You lived there?" Lucy asked, astounded. "Can't call it much of a loss, then."

"Lucy!"

"Guys!" Michael insisted, backing up. "Incoming!"

"D4 JOOS!" Killerwat rose up from the flames and hovered in the air just beyond the reach of their tendrils. "3y3 g0tt4 /-/4v3 m0r3 JOOS!"

A single blast struck him across the face, sending Killerwatt back down into the fire. "You jerk!" Dani screamed, her fists glowing as she soared up to meet him. "You just trashed my home, and after I went through all the trouble of trying to convince these guys that all ghosts weren't evil. That's the thanks I get?"

Killerwatt shook the blast off and growled menacingly. "Stow it," said Dani, rearing back. "I'm sorry for what those guys may have done to you, but that's no excuse for going around wrecking other people's homes. A lot of good people live in this neighborhood!"

Dani unloaded several balls of ecto-blasts into Killerwatt, who merely took them like they didn't even register. "Are you even listening to me?" Dani yelled, as they ducked and wove around one another in mid-air. "Where am I supposed to live now, huh?"

Down on the ground, the Specter Detectors witnessed the exchange with some confusion. "So much for not all ghosts being evil," Lucy commented. "And I suppose you two think we should be helping her right now, huh?"

"Actually," Sam replied, as Dani began waylaying Killerwatt left and right. "It'd be better for all of us if we just stayed out of her way. Looks like Dani has some issues she needs to work out."

"Well," Michael mused. "She did just lose her home. That has to hurt."

"I think she's making too big of a deal out of this," Lucy scoffed, looking away. "It's not like there aren't other, better places for squatters to take up residence in. There's gotta be at least one two-star hotel we could dump her at for..."

Lucy was cut off as Killerwatt came plunging out of the sky down on top of the Specter Sled. Staring slack-jawed, she could only watch in horror as the Sled burst into flames with Killerwatt still on top of it. Something sparked, and all three Specter Detectors were thrown back by the explosion.

"That... was the Specter Sled," Lucy mumbled, raising up in a daze. "That was... MY Specter Sled. He just blew up my Specter Sled."

"And, here we go," Michael groaned, getting to his feet. "Remember when you scratched it that one time, Sam?"

"This is going to be so much worse," Sam replied, nodding.

With a snarl, Lucy leaped up into the air, spinning her bo staff, as Killerwatt emerged from the wreckage. At once, Lucy brought down the staff over his head as Dani came flying in from the other side. Her hands glowing, she fired off several shots at Killerwatt, all of which stuck to him on impact. Raising her arms, Dani manipulated the ecto energy and threw him into the nearby wall. In tandem, the two girls attacked Killerwatt with everything they had, moving together as though they'd been trained from birth. Dani summoned several pieces of scrap metal, still burning hot from the explosion, and tossed them at him as he dove out of the way of Lucy's staff.

The pieces penetrated his metal exterior, causing him to hesitate. Dani fired off one last blast, which knocked Killerwatt towards Lucy. Lucy was ready, and plunged the edge of her staff right into his backside, sending it out through the front chestplate. Electricity crackled everywhere all around them for an instant. Then, the storm quieted and Killerwatt slumped over on his knees, beated.

"Sam, if you would like to do the honors," Lucy gestured, moving out of the way.

Not saying a word, Sam pulled out the Polter-Vac and aimed it at Killerwatt, who found himself being sucked inside a second later. "So," he asked cautiously. "Does this mean you two can be friends now?"

Lucy glanced towards Dani and turned away in a huff. "Can't say I'm surprised," Michael commented. "Oh, well. At least the ghost is locked away, and we haven't seen one sign of those bozos that tried to kidnap us earlier."

Michael took the Polter-Vac out of Sam's hand and gave it a flip. "What happened to, 'That's a really fragile piece of equipment?'" Sam wondered.

Michael hesitated. "Oh, right."

Michael reached up to catch the Polter-Vac as it came back down towards him. Before it reached level with his head, however, a bolo attached to the end of a wire arched down from somewhere up above and snatched it clean away.

"Hey!" Michael screamed.

"Hello, children," Zeitgeist jeered from above on one of the rooftops. "Since this is such a valuable piece of equipment, I think I'll do your mysterious benefactor a favor and keep it out of little hands."

"Give us that back!" Lucy demanded. "We bagged that ghost first fair and square."

"Life is hardly fair," Zeitgeist replied. "Take you four, for instance. I'd love to finish you off and bring the halfa back to my lab right now, but present circumstances require my immediate attention. Plus, I must get this errant experiment back into it's cage post-haste before it attempts to escape again."

"Zeitgeist!" Dani cried out, taking to the air.

"Until next time," he gloated, before vanishing in a swirl of smoke.

Dani reached the rooftop a second later, only to find it completely deserted. Feeling defeated, she floated back down to the ground where the others were waiting. In front of her stood the burning remains of what had been her home. Icarus hooted pitifully, then gently nipped at her hand, offering his reassurance. Dani stroked the back of his head absentmindedly as she gazed helplessly at the flames.

"What am I going to do now?" she wondered, not really expecting an answer.

Sam put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed softly. "Don't worry," he promised, leading her towards the street and out of the slums. "We know someone who can help."


	7. Episode 7 Valley of the Evil Dolls

**Dani Phantom**

**and the**

**Specter Detectors**

Episode 7

Valley of the Evil Dolls

_"IT'S PLAYTIME!"_

by Ri-kun

"This is a bad idea," Dani stated, as the vehicle pulled into the parking lot. "A very bad idea, in fact. Awful."

"It's just a simple check-up," Professor Wraitheon replied, stopping the van. "They aren't even going to do blood work on you. You've been living on the streets for, what? Five years now? The doctor is going to check you over to make sure nothing's wrong."

"Looks like the mighty half-ghost has a little problem with doctor's offices," Lucy teased, getting out. "After watching you give it to that cyber-ghost last night, it's actually a little refreshing."

"Give it a rest, Lucy," Sam ordered. "Nobody ever wants to go see the doctor."

"It can't be any worse than the time I had to get that flu shot," Michael said, shuddering. "I caught influenza from the injection, and a stomach virus from one of the kids in the waiting area. Was sick for almost two weeks. They really should quarantine the under five set."

"Come on, troops," the Professor ordered, sighing as she wheeled herself along. "Let's try and show a little moral support for Dani, since this is obviously hard for her."

"I don't see why it's necessary," Dani replied, aloofly.

"You could barely sit still inside the Clocktower," the Professor pointed out, turning her chair around to face her. "When Michael dropped that ecto sample, you nearly leaped up off the table and blasted him."

"It startled me."

"I remember when I was in the hospital as a kid," Sam recalled. "There was this old guy who would wander the halls after dark. I kept thinking he was secretly looking for kids to harvest organs from."

Everyone, including the Professor, stared at him. "My sister liked to tell scary stories to me," he explained. "I guess that one was too good to let slip past."

"I was always good about hospitals," Lucy replied, smugly. "All the nurses talked about how good I was."

"That's funny," Michael grinned. "Because I remember your younger brother once telling of a time not so long ago when it took four orderlies holding you still so the nurse could administer a simple vitamin shot. You were shaking so hard, they had to wrap the pin prick afterwards with nearly a roll of bandage."

Lucy turned blood-red from embarassment. "I'm going to kill you for that one, Kruger," she hissed.

"I was strapped to a vertical slab and tortured for several hours while my body slowly dissolved into a puddle of goop," Dani blurted out, softly. "By the nutjob that cloned me because he wanted to know why I had survived the unstable cloning process in the first place. That's why I don't like hospitals or the Clocktower much. They smell too much like his lab did; the air is overly sanitary and stinks of chemicals."

All four looked at Dani, blinking. "I was going to bring up my seventh grade physical," Michael muttered. "But I know when I'm beat."

"It won't be anything like that," Sam assured her, holding the waiting room door open for her. "Maybe some uncomfortable poking and prodding, but no torture this time. If I hear so much as a scream from back there, we'll blow the door down and come rescue you."

Sam let go of the door after the Professor had wheeled herself in, letting it almost hit Lucy in the face, and found himself staring at a rather surprised receptionist. "Um," he stammered, thinking quickly. "My friend here, she's had a long history of bad experiences with tongue depressants."

This did little to reassure the older woman, but she quickly adopted a more professional stare and turned towards Dani, ignoring Sam entirely now.

"Name?"

"Danielle Craven," the Professor spoke up. "I have all her records here."

The receptionist woman took the file folder from Professor Wraitheon while Dani watched curiously. "Very well," said the older woman behind the glass after a moment. "Have a seat. The doctor has an opening soon. He should be able to see her then."

"Thank you."

Dani waited until they'd all taken their seats on the far end of the waiting room. "Craven?" she asked.

"I have a friend who's willing to take you under her room temporarily," the Professor whispered back. "As far as anyone else knows, you're the only daughter of a couple whom I'm friends with, and they're going overseas for the time being. Since I don't have room for you, I'm arranging for you to stay with the Craven family, who are also friends of mine, in exchange for providing financial support."

"And my name just so happens to be Craven?" Dani pressured. "Who'd believe that?"

"Marigold won't suspect a thing," the Professor assured her. "She has far more pressing matters in her life at this time."

Dani was silent for a moment, thinking very hard. "I don't know if I can go through with this," she said. "I've seen foster care, and that was what made me decide I was better off on my own. None of us would even be here right now if Killerwatt hadn't blown up my home. I'd still like to know what he was doing there in the slums, anyway."

"Probably just looking for a place to feed electricity off of," Michael offered.

"In the slums?"

"Sure. The power output from that big generator was enough to attract him. He just cranked it up and kept on feeding until it overloaded. That was what set the warehouse ablaze."

Dani stared at Michael. "What?"

"You mean, you didn't know," he said. "There was an old turbine generator in the basement of that warehouse. It was still wired up to the electrical grid and everything."

"My place didn't have electricity," Dani replied. "At least, I thought it didn't..."

"A mystery to be solved later on," the Professor said. "Preferably after you've gotten settled into your new home. Frankly, I'll feel a lot better knowing you're in a safer place with heating and electricity, not to mention somewhere we can contact you. It will make sending you to school so much easier."

"School?" Dani flinched. "Who said anything about school?"

"Do you see it?"

"No," replied the other one. "It got away again! Zeitgiest will have our heads if we don't come back with that unit."

"Makes you wonder," muttered the third, leaning against a wall to catch his breath. "How something that's supposed to be defective managed to escape and slip off to the slums again. That's the second time in less than a month that this has happened."

"Who cares how it happened?" replied the first one. "If we don't get it back, Zeitgiest will slate us for experimentation. Let's move!"

The Hexpurgate soldiers moved farther into the slums, knocking over any boxes or trash cans that their quarry might be hiding in. Several pairs of eyes watched them from within the shadows, but other than a few sharp glares, the trio moved through the streets unpreturbed.

"I can't believe we had to come back to this dumb," the second soldier complained. "Why does the Hexpurgate even allow a place like this to exist?"

"Who knows," the first admitted. "If you ask me, they oughta set fire to this whole place and let it burn to the ground. No one would miss it."

"I beg to differ, young man," came a voice behind them. "Some might call these rustic street corners home."

"Who are you?" the third soldier demanded, raising his weapon.

"You can put that away," the sallow, thin man waved, dismissively. "As you can see, despite the lack of a hot meal in these parts, I am in fact still counted among the living. And the three of you together make enough noise to wake the dead. If you insist on trespassing in someone else's living quarters, would it be too much to ask that you do so quietly. Some of us were trying to sleep."

"Who are you, old timer?" the second soldier asked. "It sounds to me like you know a little too much."

"I am called Twigs," he answered. "By some, at least. It is my task to ensure that these streets and alleyways remain as safe as possible for those who call them home. If you are looking for something, then perhaps we can help each other out. For you see, no one knows anything about the slums of Silent Hollow better than myself."

"Get out of here, old man," the first soldier sneered. "You don't wanna get in our way."

"Right," the third agreed. "Best you just forgot us."

Twigs sighed. "Very well. Though, strickly speaking, if I were in the sort of trouble that you three have managed to get into, I'd been putting some thought into where the most likely place my target could have run to was."

All three men blinked. "It's just a thought," Twigs added, smiling. "Anyway, I bid you three good luck in your search."

Roughly ten minutes later, the trio pulled into a parallel parking space. The streets were deserted and cracked, which reflected the condition of the buildings surrounding them. The area was just on the outskirts of the slums, but it might as well have been the heart and soul of them. Soldier number three scowled as his eyes swept the area.

"What is this place?" he wondered, distainfully. "And why would our target come here?"

"This used to be the biggest toy store in the state," soldier Number One said, pointing to the delapidated structure in front of them. "My grandmother used to bring me here during Solstice when I was a kid. It seemed like the best place to look."

"And you're willing to base all this around what one senile old homeless man said?" Number Three asked. "Just for the record, when Zeitgiest vaporizes you, I plan on laughing. A lot."

"It's not as though you've come up with any brilliant ideas lately," Number Two pointed out. "Let's just take a quick look inside. It beats wandering around the slums with the rest of the gutter trash, not having a clue where we're going."

"Fine," Number Three muttered. "So, how do we get in?"

Number One raised his rifle up and fired at the boarded-up doorway, which exploded inward on contact. "Like that," he said, shouldering the gun.

"So much for remaining incognito," Number Two remarked, wryly. "Shall we?"

Number Two went in first, keeping both guns raised as his peered through his visor into the darkness. "Here... Chucky!" he whispered, chortling under his breath. "Here, Chucky! Chucky! Chucky!"

"Would you stop that!" Number Three barked, shoving him further inside. "You're giving me the creeps. Do you see anything yet?"

"Nothing yet," Number Two said, motioning them forward. "The coast looks clear. You two can come on now."

"So, why does Zeitgiest want this thing back anyway?" Number One wondered. "It can't be all that valuable."

"Looks can be deceiving," Number Two said, warningly. "Plus, Zeitgiest has a lot of weird hobbies. Who knows? Maybe computer dating didn't pan out for him, so he was going to ask this thing out. Once he was done dissecting it, I mean."

"It's a free-roaming spectral entity with transmogrification properties that's been confined to a single, material shape," Number Three reminded them, continuing forward deeping into the empty shop. "Knowing Zeitgiest, he could come up with all sorts of things."

"All sorts of weird things," Number Two added.

"Hush," Number Three ordered. "There's nothing on the scanners yet, but keep your eyes peeled. For some reason, it feels like we're being watched."

The interior of the shop looked as though it'd been ransacked several times since closing. There wasn't a lot of room to search through, yet several of the shelves had been knocked over, forcing them to tread carefully, or else take the long way around them altogether. Every few minutes, Number Three would hear a noise and raise his gun, only to see it was nothing more than a mouse.

As they got closer to the back, where the shelves were still standing, Number Three noticed that a couple of toys had been left behind. One of them caught his eye, and old Stopbot from years past that was an almost exact copy of one he'd owned as a kid. Someone had stuffed it on the top shelf next to a shabby-looking old wooden puppet that was clutching a hammer loosely in it's hands. As he reached for it, a shot rang out behind him. Both Number Three and Number One whirled around with their guns raised, ready to fire. Number Two looked up at them sheepishly, holding his hands up.

"Sorry," he told them. "I thought I saw something. Turns out, it was just a dust bunny."

"I can't tell you how relieved I am knowing you're ever vigilant in the face of poor housekeeping," Number Three growled, sarcastically. "Maybe you should just wait outside. I don't think we're going to find anything here."

"Ummm," Number Two said, pointing. "Then, why is that toy robot's eyes glowing?"

Number Three whirled around, raising his gun, as the Stopbot leaped right off the shelf at him. Number Three's fingers squeezed the trigger at the same time he felt the toy machine's hand grips close around his throat. Choking, he stumbled backwards, blaster still firing around the room wildly, while his teammates ran for cover. Number One and Two peered out from behind the shelves they'd ducked around as Number Three dropped his gun in desperation and began fighting off the robot with his bare fists.

"Should we help him?" Number Two asked.

"Well," Number One mused. "He did date your sister, and dumped her on the day of your cousin's funeral."

"True," Number Two nodded, as Number Three's choking sounds grew louder. "Plus, you owe him money."

"Right, I'd forgotten about that. Still, if we don't save him, Zeitgiest will assign a team leader who's even more annoying and bossy than him. Also, I'm fairly sure that watching a superior officer getting strangled to death by a outdated manufacturing ploy and doing nothing to stop it is grounds for termination. And the Hexpurgate tends to take 'termination' very literal."

"Let's go, then," said Number Two, stepping out from behind the shelf. "Stay behind me and watch my six."

When Number Two was in range, he raised his blaster and fired. The shot sent the robot flying off Number Three's throat in a shower of sparks and melted plastic. Number Three stared at him breathlessly as he blew on the barrel of his gun, wearing a smug grin.

"Bullseye," Number Two whispered.

"What kept you!" Number Three demanded. "You mean to tell me you could have blow that thing off any time?"

"It looked like you had the situation under control," he answered, knowingly. "And I didn't want to break rank by making you out as incompetent."

Number One could be heard snickering in the background. "Nevermind," Number Three snarled. "Where'd that thing go? Nothing normal would've jumped off the shelf at me and tried to strangle me to death."

"It would if it had to spend time with you," Number One replied, coming up behind them. "I think it went over there somewhere."

_"You broke my toys."_

Number Three glared towards Number Two. "That's not funny."

"What?" Number Two asked, defensively.

_"That was mean."_

"I'm serious, you two," Number Three warned. "Cut it out, already!"

"It's not us," Number Two replied, just as serious. "Something else is in here with us."

Number Three swept the room with his visor, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. As he turned towards the shelf, his eyes landed on the puppet he'd spotted early next to where the Stopbot had been. He was now standing upright on both legs unaided. Number Three backed away as her eyes began to glow. The others saw what he was staring at, and did the same.

"_Hi, I'm Artie Oakwood, the Puppet Lord_," the doll said in a low, whispering voice. "_Do you want to play with me_?"

"Nobody told me anything about school," Dani protested, as they drove away from the doctor's office. "And on another note, that nurse had really cold hands."

"For some reason, they always do," the Professor warned. "I suggest you get used to that right now. It'll come in handy when you're older. Back to the subject at hand, however, did you honestly think you'd be able to avoid school forever?"

"Actually, yes. I did."

"Danielle," Professor Wraitheon said, tryingly. "You cannot avoid normal life forever. It's time you faced facts. The streets are nowhere for a girl your age. You need a more stable enviroment and structure in your life. Look what it's done for the others."

Dani glanced back towards Sam. "Sorry, Professor," Sam said, guiltily. "But I'm going to have to take Dani's side on this one."

"Me too," Michael nodded.

"Even you, Michael?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Sorry," he apologized, regretably. "But none of us would've chosen our lives if we'd had other options. It's what made us want to become ghost hunters in the first place."

Professor Wraitheon shook her head. "I don't believe I'm hearing this."

"If it makes you feel any better," Lucy spoke up. "I don't disagree with you."

"You're only saying that because Michael pointed out that Dani joining the team automatically puts her under your command," Sam told her.

"And I never said I was joining you guys," Dani warned. "I have nothing against hunting ghosts per say. Some of them out there are dangerous. I've encountered enough to know that personally, but not all ghosts are bad. Sometimes, I think you guys don't always take that into consideration."

"You're only saying that because we shot at you," Lucy responded.

"And threw a net over my head," Dani reminded her. "And dropped a roof on yourselves while trying to capture me."

"Which makes me think Dani could have a valid point," the Professor added.

Lucy looked horrified. "What?"

"Dani herself is part ghost," Professor Wraitheon stated, glancing back towards Lucy. "If she can willingly chose to use her powers for the greater good, then it stands to reason that other ghosts might make the same choice at some point. If that is the case, we should seriously take it into consideration for the future."

"Hmph," Lucy snorted, looking away. "That's not what I remember hearing."

A moment later, the Professor pulled her van up into a driveway. Cages and animal pens lined the entire front yard. There were all sorts of animals everywhere, but mostly dogs. Many of them looked as though they'd seen better days, particularly one that only had three legs. A sign hanging by a post nearby explained everything.

_'Craven's Hope Animal Sanctuary'_

Dani read the tagline at the bottom. "'Animals are people, too.' I seem to recall a slightly different opinion. What do you think their opinions are on ghosts?"

"Marigold runs the animal sanctuary out of her house," the Professor explained as she lowered herself down out of the van on the mechanical platform. "She isn't home right now. A store was willing to donate dog food and she had to dash out, but her son and brother live here, as well. They should be able to help you get settled in."

"You're not staying?"

"I'd love to," Professor Wraitheon said evasively. "But I have experiments running. Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Dani opened the front door, which wasn't locked. Before she could even stick her head inside, the smell struck her across the face like a punch from a heavyweight prizefighter. Staggering back, she hesitated a moment, covering her mouth and nose with one hand, before cautiously walking across the threshold. The inside was worse than she ever could have expected.

There was dog poop all over the floor. Someone had put down tile paneling, but it was impossible to guess what color. Puddles of urine seperated the small mounds of excrement, forming a sort of odd continental shape. Dani thought she might throw up. The room itself looked as though it'd been raided by the FBI at some point. Everything out of place, down to the furniture. Some of the pictures were even hung crooked. Down past the living room and off to the left was a kitchen. Or, a better description would have been, what once had been a kitchen. In the sink was a ton of dirty dishes, some of which looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in months. Roaches as big as her hand crawled along the counter top. One glanced up her way and waved it's feelers excitedly.

Dani leaped back out the door and slammed it shut, gasping for air. "What the hell?" she demanded, grabbing the Professor by the back of her chair before she could roll away. "Would you mind explaining to me what's going on? How exactly am I supposed to be safe here?"

"What do you mean, exactly?" the Professor responded, not looking at her directly.

"You know exactly what I mean," Dani shouted. From several feet away, she could see Michael, Sam, and Lucy's faces pressed up against the front window of the van. "I slept in a warehouse every night, for crying out loud, and it was cleaner. What did you get me into?"

"Fine," the Professor answered in defeat. "Marigold Craven and I used to know one another. She does run an animal shelter out of her home, but her aptitude with keeping things organized is..."

"Non-existant?" offered Dani, glaring with her arms folded.

"Pretty much. Look, I need you to stay here just as much for Marigold's sake as your own. She's utterly hopeless when it comes to being a mother and a caregiver. She has a son and a brother, but all that registers with her is those stupid animals. You've already proven yourself very capable up till now."

"So glad I meet your approval," Dani retorted. "Give me one single reason why I shouldn't leave now and never come back."

"Because Marigold is constantly pestering me," the Professor admitted. "Either for help with her organization, or donations. With you around, she would have some extra help occasionally. Plus, I'm re-embursing her with cash in exchange for taking you in."

"You're not making this sound more appealing to me."

"You aren't expected to stay here for purely altruistic reasons," Professor Wraiteon assured her. "This is temporary, at best, and I plan on relocating you to much more accomidating living quarters just as soon as they're available. Besides, we both know there's no way I could keep you here if you wanted to leave. You've proven to be too smart and clever for the police or child services to catch, and with the added benefit of having ghost powers, it's safe to assume no one would ever find you if you decided to disappear completely. No pun intended."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Dani warned. "Still, I do need a place to stay, at least for tonight."

Dani stood there in the front yard thinking for a moment. "Fine," she finally relented. "As long as it's only temporary."

"Good," said the Professor, who wheeled herself closer to Lucy. "There's one other thing you might want to consider. I selected Lucy as field commander because she was the best choice of the bunch. However, that was long before you came along."

"So?"

"As I said before, you're smart and clever. You can think on your feet when the going gets tough, and you're a natural-born leader. If you did ever decide to join the Specter Detectors, I would be interested in making you the new field commander. Permanently."

Dani glanced towards Lucy, who was watching her in the van. "Think on it," the Professor pressed, before wheeling herself away.

Dani was trying to do anything but that as she watched the Professor drive away. It was probably just her own imagination, but Lucy seemed to be shooting her an especially nasty look from where she sat in back of the van. Dani pushed all of this aside as she waited outside for a moment longer. There was no one else around save for the dogs and other animals, none of whom seemed especially thrilled with her presence. The place felt deserted now. It wasn't a comfortable feeling at all.

Steeling her nerves, Dani forced herself to turn around and go back inside. The smell wasn't any bearable this time around, but she was determined to do something about that right now. By rights, it wasn't her home, but if the Professor expected her to stay here, then the shelter's current residences could survive one of her cleaning sprees.

The place being empty turned out to be an advantage, for now that she was alone, Dani could exercise her powers without worrying about someone learning her secret. First, she searched through every room on the downstairs area for cleaning supplies. Dani finally located them after a brutal sweep in the laundry room. Everything she needed was covered in dust, and didn't appear to have been used before. Gathering it all up, she moved to the front of the house first and began savagely attacking the filth. Between her ghost powers and some good old-fashioned elbow grease, shhe was making good time.

The kitchen was by far the most stomach-churning, but she managed to hold down what was in her stomach long enough to leave it looking spotless. The roaches weren't too thrilled with losing their home, but Dani didn't care. When it was all over with, and she finally let herself sit down for a break, the entire building couldn't have looked more different. She had gone through the entire house save for the bedrooms and removed every last bit of dirt, grime, and animal secretion. During her search for more paper towels, she'd unearthed a few scented candles, which were now burning on the shelves. Those took care of any lingering traces of stench. Feeling revitalized, and overall a little better about staying for the night, Dani made herself get up and headed for the bathroom to shower.

It wasn't until she emerged a while later after a thorough scrubbing that the cries from downstairs reached her. Foregoing clothes, Dani immediately became Dani Phantom and flew invisible through the walls down to the first floor.

"I don't believe it!" a young boy was screaming into the refrigerator. "What sort of heartless burglar would break in and eat all of our green, furry food?"

The boy slammed the door shut, and Dani thought she recognized his face. "And they changed the tile," he went on. "What sort of warped, demented mind are we dealing with here?"

"The tile has always looked that way," an older male sitting calmly in the living room said. "And the remote control wasn't stolen. It's laying right here on the arm rest where it's supposed to go."

"This is serious," the boy she remembered as Wes insisted. "How are we supposed to find anything now?"

Dani landed in the hallway just out of sight and changed back. Unfortunately, this left her dripping wet and wrapped in a towel. Debating on whether she should go back upstairs or not, Dani wound up being saved the trouble when Wes happened to peer back towards her, curiously. At the sight of her, he immediately screamed and fell backwards onto the couch.

"It's a girl!" he shouted, pointing. "Our house has been invaded by a girl!"

The older male, several years older than what Dani looked, raised up very calmly. "Hello?" he said cautiously. "Um, can we help you?"

"Sorry," she apologized. "My name is Dani, and Professor Wraitheon said she had spoke to Marigold about me staying here for a little while. She had to leave, so I was just dropped off here. I didn't know if anyone else was home."

"We just got back," he replied. "I guess you were taking a shower."

Wes looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then turned around. "Mom didn't say anything about someone staying with us, did she, Uncle Val?"

"No," the man named Val replied. "Although, knowing her, she probably forgot all about it."

Val seemed to consider her for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Welcome to Noah's Arc then, I guess. Hope you enjoy your stay, though I seriouslydoubt that is possible. And if you even find the name of the cleaning crew that stormed this place, give them our thanks."

"That was me," she admitted. "I cleaned up before taking a shower."

Both Val and Wes glared at her in shock. "You cleaned?" Wes demanded. "As in, you cleaned this whole house from top to bottom?"

"Yes..."

There was a brief pause, then Dani suddenly found herself the recipient of an overabundance of unwanted affection. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" they each cried out, squeezing her tightly. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

Dani stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. "Um, you're welcome?"

"You three have been very bad," Puppet Lord growled, waving his hammer around threateningly. "You came into my shop and broke one of my favorite toys, so in return, I'm going to punish you. But first, we need to find some new toys to replace the one you destroyed."

"Yesss... Puppet Lord," Number Three mumbled, as drool trailed down the side of his mouth. Nothing in his eyes suggested he noticed, or was even aware of what was happening to him. "Whatever... you say, my... Lord."

"Good," Puppet Lord nodded. "And what about the rest of you."

"Uhh," Number One and Two nodded, just as glassy eyed as their field commander was.

"That's good," Puppet Lord nodded himself, his head bobbing back and forth. "That's real good. Now, because you three are going out to bring back some new toys for me, I'll make things easier for you."

Puppet Lord raised his mallet as it began glowing a bright green color. "For you, I think we'll try out that Stopbot you liked so much," he said to Number Three. "Only, instead of the one your friend broke, you get to be Engager Alphastar, leader of the Stopbots from planet Computatron."

A blast from Puppet Lord's mallet enveloped Number Three, encasing him in an ectoplasmic coccoon. Another bright flash came, and as the coccoon peeled away, it showed his body having been transformed into a life-size model of the Engager Alphastar. Number Three raises his arms, flexing the gattling guns now mounted on his shoulders, and drew out the side-arm blaster embedded in his rist. Puppet Lord snickered, then began to applaude him.

"Excellent," he said. "Now on to you. I'm thinking... the Outerworld Outlaw from the classic space cartoon series, Bravecomet."

Number Two didn't blink as the blast from Puppet Lord's mallet covered him from head to toe. The ligh flickered, then flashed again as the coccoon of ectoplasm peeled off of him. Number Two was now colored a deep moss green, his head and body oddly distorted, though still humanoid. He was dressed like a modern space version of a wild west cowboy with twin laser blasters mounted on his hips. Number Two drew them, and proceeded to perform several trick twirls for the Puppet Lord's amusement before holstering them again.

"That was so cool," Puppet Lord gushed, stepping in front of Number One. "And now, what do I do with you?"

Puppet Lord thought hard for a moment. "We've already got a robot and a space cowboy. They're both cool, but there's something missing here. What else could we need? There's always She-Woman, master of the Evanescent Sword and defender of Blackbone Fortress, but I don't think that quite fits here. No self-respecting boy wants to play a girl. We need something..."

"I've got it!" he declared, grinning.

Puppet Lord blasted Number One, encasing him in the glowing ectoplasm coccoon, which split apart after a moment to show Number One dressed like a vampire astronaut. "Count Plasmavore of the dark space moon Nocturnis, once the greatest villain for three consecutive seasons before turning to the side of good in order to defeat the Pukepod People invading from Dimension Zorm."

Pleased with his craftmanship, Puppet Lord turned towards the building across the street and pointed. "See that?" he demanded, looking out through the bushes they were hiding in. "Go inside that office building and bring me back some new toys to play with. And make sure they're good ones!"

"Yes, master!' they hailed, before storming towards the building.

Puppet Lord snickered wickedly, then began searching the area. "Okay, there's got to be some more places I can go to get toys from," he mused. "While those guys are shopping for me, I think I'll have a look around."

As Puppet Lord stepped out of the brush, a young todder and her mom strode past. The woman barely glanced at him, keeping her attention focused on where she was going and the cell phone clutched in her hand.

"Mommy! Mommy!" the little girl cried out, noticing him. "Look, it's a little person like on tv!"

"Not now, dear," her mother sighed, wearily.

"I'm usually not one for girl's toys," Puppet Lord mused, raising his hammer. "But I guess you'll do."

The blast from his hammer knocked the little girl from her mother's gripped. Startled, her mother jumped back and looked around wildly as her daughter emerged from the coccoon wearing a frilly pink gown.

"You'll be Prissy Princess Pollymorph," Puppet Lord decided. Noticing the horrified expression on the mother's face, Puppet Lord scowled. "There's no room for adults around here," he spat. "Adults ruin everything, so you get to be..."

"Discontinued."

"Huh?" Puppet Lord had barely turned around when a blast caught him square in the chest. "Ow!" he cried out, stumbling backwards. "Who did that?"

More ecto-blasts followed, this time aimed at his feet. "Hey, stop that!" he screamed, dancing around to avoid them. "Quit it! I mean it!"

"Mommy, look at what I can do," the transformed girl shouted gleefully, throwing her arms up. "I can change myself. Watch!"

"Polly," the mother screamed, as her daughter shapeshifted into a red convertable.

"Can't catch me, Mommy!" the girl laughed, driving off.

"Polly," the mother screamed, chasing after her. "You change out of that car and get back here this instant. You're not old enough to drive. ...And you're not insured yet!"

"Stop fooling around, Sam," Lucy called out. She and Michael ran up underneath the tree Sam had been hiding in. "This is supposed to be serious work."

"Sorry," Sam said, slipping out of the tree to land next to her. "I just wanted to see if he really would dance like that."

"That was mean," Puppet Lord declared. "What sort of toys are you three supposed to be? I've never seen action figures like you before."

"We're not toys," Michael said, drawing his sword. "And what kind of a ghost are you?"

"I am called the Puppet Lord. If you're here to spoil my fun, let me warn you. Adults will not be tolerated."

"How can he call us adults?" Sam wondered. "Do we look like adults to you?"

"You certainly couldn't be mistaken for one," Lucy retorted. "Just bag this creep so the Professor can figure out what the heck he is."

"Right."

"Michael, get the girl and her mother out of here. We'll see about helping them after putting this... whatever he is, away."

"Okay," Michael saluted, rushing around Sam as he opened fire on the Puppet Lord. "One side, Sam. Coming through."

Puppet Lord growled low while spinning his hammer around, reflecting Sam's blasts back at him. Sam and Lucy dove for cover out of the way as Puppet Lord cackled, then drew his hammer back to strike Michael down. Michael brought his sword up, but Puppet Lord merely swatted it away. Twirling around, Puppet Lord brought his hammer around again and sent Michael flying backwards with a blow to the chest. Lucy raised up, dragging Sam along with her, just in time to see Michael's form sailing through the air towards an office building.

"Michael," she cried out. "Come on, Sam. He needs our help."

"Good for him," Sam muttered. "But what about this guy? Who's going to help us with him?"

"That should teach you both a lesson about trying to take other people's toys away," Puppet Lord said, stepping towards them menacingly.

"Fine, call your little ghost freak friend," she said, backing away. "Assuming she's not too busy unpacking and all."

"So now it's okay for me to do that," he groaned sarcastically. "When we're getting our butts kicked, I'm supposed to call her. But when the Professor calls us to check out a random flare-up of erratic ghost traces downtown 'that are perfectly ordinary and can totally be handled by us', you want to leave her out of it."

"I thought we were just here to check things out," she defended. "Look, I'm sorry I tried to cut her out. Call her up and see if she can't get her pronto, then the two of you bag this lunatic ghost or whatever he is before more people get hurt."

"Sure thing," he agreed, letting the subject go. "Sorry I made such a big deal out of it. Make sure Michael is okay."

"Will do."

Sam gulped as the Puppet Lord continue to advance on him. "I only hope I'm going to be okay."

Lucy reached the building as the sounds of battle from inside echoed out onto the streets below where she stood. Several windows on the same floor that Michael had crashed through were blown out. Screams could be heard inside, as well. Feeling apprehensive, she hesitated for only a moment before leaping straight up. Catching the edge of a blown window, Luch flipped herself inside and searched the room. It was deserted now, but there had definitely been a fight here, and not long ago. Judging by the desk that someone had cut clean in half and the sound of a swordfight out in the hallway, she guessed Michael was close by.

Sure enough, when she reached the doorway, her head was nearly liberated from her shoulders by a familiar-looking katana. "Lucy!" Michael cried out, startled. "Sorry about that, but could you move out of the way please?"

"What..." she had time to say before a second blade nearly cut her head off again. "Ack!"

Michael jumped between them and attacked the mysterious black swordsman head-on. Lucy stared in confusion as the ninjaesque swordsman went toe-to-toe with Michael, before finally being disarmed. Michael gloated as he waved his katana stylishly in the air. The swordsman said not a word, but raised a fist in defiance. Lucy gasped as she saw him draw out a knife from his combat boot.

"Michael, take cover!" she yelled, drawing her bo staff out. Slapping the knife away, she stood next to Michael confidently as the swordsman turned and ran off.

"That was Solidus Snakeyes," Michael noted, sounding very excited for some reason as he lowered his blade. "I just went full-on with Solidus Snakeyes."

"Who?" Lucy wondered.

"From the Metal Marine Commandoes," he elaborated. "Solidus Snakeyes was a Marine operative that'd been trained as a ninja during his childhood. A ninja swordsman adopted him and taught him the sacred art of ninjutsu. He was one of the most famous Metal Marine Commando action figures. I wanted one so badly back when I was in second grade, but my dad said..."

"Wait, just hold on a minute," Lucy interrupted. "Are you telling me I just watched you fight off a life-sized action figure?"

"Pretty much," he nodded. "Think that puppet guy out in the street had something to do with this?"

Lucy just looked at him. "You know, there are times when I wonder how you got to be labeled as the smart one of the group."

Michael shrugged. "Because even though you study constantly, your grades aren't as good as mine, and we both know the only reason you try so hard is in the hopes that you'll attract the attention of your parents, who are forever focused on your little brother. That, and the only other option being Sam..."

"Never mind," Lucy mumbled, storming off. "Let's go after the puppet kid, or whatever his name is. I left Sam alone with him to come save your sorry butt. Hopefully, I'll remember not to make that mistake again."

"I'll make a note of it for you," Michael promised.

"Um," Sam squeaked. "Can we talk about this?"

"NO!" Puppet Lord shouted, waving his hammer around. "Go away!"

Sam leaped out of the way as the hilt for Puppet Lord's hammer extended. Puppet Lord brought the hammer crashing down in the exact spot where he'd stood, cracking the cement. Sam gulped, imagining what it would have done to him, and raised his guns again as the hammer reduced to it's regular size.

"They're my toys and you can't play with them," Puppet Lord shouted, swatting Sam's ecto-gun blasts away like flies. "I want you to go home, now!"

"Man, what a brat," he groaned, dodging his own ecto-blasts. "I hope I wasn't like that as a kid."

"I doubt it."

A red ecto-blast sent Puppet Lord rocketing backwards. A loud crash followed his wooden body slamming hard into a car that was parked illegally on the side of the curb just ahead. Sam looked up as Dani Phantom floated down, hovering a few feet off the ground next to him. "You seem pretty well-adjusted," she remarked.

"You got my message," Sam breathed, sounding both exhaused and relieved. "I was starting to worry."

"Sorry it took so long," she apologized. "I've been keeping busy cleaning. Apparently, running an animal shelter takes up a lot of time, and gets very messy. I think it was safer and more sanitary to just live on the streets."

Dani looked towards Puppet Lord. "Is that..."

"Puppet Lord," Sam finished for her. "At least, that's what he calls himself. We're not sure if he's a ghost, but there were some strange ecto energy readings in this area before we arrived, and then this little guy popped up turning random people into life-sized toys. Even I can work this much out."

"I'm beginning to think strange ecto readings in this town are the least strange things about it."

"Whadaya say?" Sam offered. "You hit him high..."

"And you hit him low," Dani agreed. "Ready?"

"Not yet," Lucy called out, interrupting. "Now that we're here."

"I was expecting the dynamic duo to have this one wrapped up already," Michael chided gently, as he joined them. "Looks like you two have met your match."

"Shut it, Michael," Lucy barked, all business now, as Puppet Lord disengaged himself from the wrecked vehicle at last. "Get ready to fire on my command."

"You okay?" Sam asked Michael, worriedly.

"I'm great," Michael replied, raising his own portable blaster. "I got to fight with Solidus Snakeyes."

"You're kidding!" Sam gasped. "I had one of those when I was a kid."

"You guys are so immature," Lucy derided, taking aim. "FIRE!"

Dani raised her arms to blast away, but froze instead as Puppet Lord formed a shield around himself. As the Specter Detectors opened up on him, she quickly formed a shield of her own around them. The blasts from their guns ricocheted off Puppet Lord's covering and were sent right back towards them. Bracing herself, Dani reinforced her own crimson wall and grunted as the blasts exploded against it.

"Why didn't you fire when I gave the order?" Lucy demanded.

"Um, Lucy," Sam pointed out. "She just saved our lives. The blasters won't work on this guy. I've already tried it, remember?"

"And I was counting on her to back us up so that we could overload him."

Ignoring her, Dani spotted the car behind Puppet Lord that she'd sent him crashing into a moment ago. Raising her hands, she sent her ecto-energy out to it, surrounding the mangled wreck of metal and glass, lifting it up off the ground. Even ruined, it was still heavy, and Lucy's voice didn't help her concentration.

"Are you even listening to me?" Lucy demanded.

"Lucy," Sam pointed. "Look."

Dani brought the car down on Puppet Lord's head just as Lucy raised up. There was a sound of metal meeting against concrete, then an awesome explosion that rattled all of their ears as the gas tank ruptured.

"That's using his head," Michael joked.

"It can't be that easy," Lucy insisted. "And you can't just go dropping cars on top of bad guys. It's not professional."

"It's effective, though," Michael said, pointing. "Oh, wait... maybe not!"

Everyone looked as something amid the flaming pile of metal shifted. Dani gasped as Puppet Lord slowly crawled out of the wreckage, his eyes glowing a bright green as they looked over towards her. In his hands was the broken pieces of his hammer. Puppet Man stared down at his ruined weapon, then leaped to the ground.

"You broke my toy," he whispered softly, as though speaking about a treasured friend. "My... favorite toy. You broke it. You broke..."

Puppet Lord took a step forward, hesitating as his wooden feet crushed on some broken glass. Gazing down, he saw something in the reflective surface of the pieces there. Everyone stared in horror as Puppet Lord turned his head to the left slightly, showing the large crack trailing down his right cheek from the temple all the way to the jawline. The crack spread out, covering the surface completely. From underneath came the same green glow eminating from his eyes. Puppet Lord looked down at himself in shock as he saw himself.

"You broke..." he wheezed. "You broke... ME!"

"I think he's mad," Sam observed. "In fact, I'm sure of it."

"I'm sure you're sure," Michael added.

"YOU BROKE ME!" Puppet Lord screamed, raising his fists to the sky. "YOU BROKE ME! NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH A BROKEN TOY!"

"Nobody wants to play with you, period," Lucy countered, stepping forward. "It's time to put you where you belong."

Lucy whipped out the Polter-Vac and took aim. "Young man," she scolded. "Go to your room and stay there."

The Polter-Vac fired. The beam caught Puppet Lord right in it's path, but when Lucy pushed the button to reel him in, something happened. "What's wrong?" Michael wondered.

"I don't know," Lucy said, clutching the device for dear life as alarms from it began sounding. "These readings don't make any sense."

"It's rooted inside that body," Dani realized, watching as Puppet Lord flailed about, trying to escape the beam. "I've seen this happen to some ghosts before. If they overshadow something that's uninhabited, sometimes they get trapped inside. Or else some part of them doesn't want to leave."

"What would you know?" Lucy snapped, then looked embarassed. "Never mind. What do we do about it?"

"For starters, turn that off before it explodes on us," Dani suggested.

"Good idea," Michael agreed, reaching around Michael to hit the off switch.

"Now?" Sam asked.

"Now, we destroy his body," Dani answered. "His real form will have no choice but to leave once enough damage has been done to it. After that, it should work just fine."

"You're going to... break me now?" Puppet Lord gasped weakly as they surrounded him. "You're going to break me, and... leave me all alone. Just like they did before. Nobody ever wants to play with me."

"I'm sorry," Dani apologized, sincerely. "You didn't leave us any other choice."

"Oh, brother," Lucy groaned. "You're not going to wimp out on us like last time, are you? What happened with Killerwatt was bad enough!"

Dani looked down at Puppet Lord, who gazed at her hopelessly. Dani's hand shook as she readied a blast to fire. Her hand glowed a bright florescent red, then shook as indecision took her.

"Get out of the way," Lucy snapped, pushing her. "I'll do it."

"Lucy," Sam started, but she quickly stared him down.

"We don't have a place in the Specter Detectors for people who hesitate in the line of duty," she barked, brandishing her staff. "Kyahh!"

Puppet Lord screamed in pain as her staff shattered through his wooden body and stuck in the concrete below. Ectoplasm sparked and crackled across the remaining pieces. Lucy withdrew her bo staff as the energy build-up reached it's maximum, exploding upwards in a spire of light. Everyone looked on as the energy increased and spread across the area.

"What's it doing?" she asked Michael.

"See for yourself," he replied, pointing towards three figures across the street, who cried out as their bodies reverted back to normal. "People are changing back to their old selves."

"See?" Lucy declared, proudly. "If we had hesitated, those people might not have gone back to normal at all."

Puppet Lord was still crying out in pain, even as his spirit left the wooden body. "It hurrrttts," he stammered, writhing in agony. "Itt hurrrtss ssssoooo muucchhh!"

Dani snatched the Polter-Vac out of Lucy's hands and aimed it at him. Puppet Lord gave one final cry as he was sucked down inside it. Shoving it back in Lucy's hands, Dani gave her one last look before walking away.

"Hm," Lucy snubbed. "Phantom Pain."

Sam looked at her, then followed after Dani. "What?" she asked, looking confused. "What did I say?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Michael replied, before following Sam.

"Guys, wait up!"

Lucy didn't bother looking back as she took off after her friends. Number Three made sure all three Specter Detectors were out of sight before walking onto the scene. "We've got the device," he spoke into his com-link. "The ghost inhabiting it was captured, but at least we've recovered the overshadowed machine."

"That is unfortunate," Zeitgiest said on the other line. "Still, it's an acceptable loss for now. We will have to recover the designated spirt at some point, but good work. You and your team are to be commended."

"Thank you, sir," Number Three said, saluting. Realizing Zeitgiest couldn't see him, he lowered his hand sheepishly. "We encountered some resistance from the Specter Detectors as you predicted, but they turned out to be a minor nusance. Honestly, sir, I don't expect they will be a problem for us from now on."

"Never underestimate your opponent," Zeitgiest warned. "I once worked with someone who made that same mistake. It cost her severely."

"Forgive me, sir," he said at once. "But they seem very disorganized. The halfa that recently joined their team is causing friction within their ranks. From what I was able to hear just before they left, the others are beginning to take her side over that of their field commander. It's only a matter of time before the group polarizes and collapses."

"Really?" Zeitgiest was silent for a moment. "That information could prove useful. You have proven to be a wise investment, Number Three. Gather whatever remains of the project and have the area cut off from the authorities. I don't want any evidence left that could be traced back to us."

"At once, sir."

"I cannot believe the Professor made us come here as punishment for yesterday," Lucy grumbled, sitting on the bench. "We're not even the ones who screwed up."

"Dani didn't screw up," Sam countered, growing impatient with her. "And this wasn't a punishment. The Professor just asked us to come to the mall so we could help her pick out some stuff for school."

"It's not that bad," Michael added, gently. "I mean, she doesn't have anything she could wear currently. Not unless the dumpster hobo look is coming back."

"She can probably hear you, you know," Sam warned.

"Why does she think I would know anything about this place?" Lucy wondered. "I've never set foot inside the Downstairs in my whole life. This place is nothing but a breeding ground for wannabe punkers and people with no taste."

"I think it's cool," Michael noted.

Lucy glared at him. "Who asked you?"

"What do you guys think of this one?" Dani asked, stepping out from the changing booth.

"Um, wow..." Sam stammered.

"Yeah," Michael nodded, in total agreement for once. "Really."

Lucy looked Dani up and down, then groaned. Dani had found a pair of black studded jeans with flames sprayed on the side. The Dumpty Humpty tank-top and jacket clung to her upper body rather nicely, which most likely accounted for the boys' sudden loss of speech.

"Thanks," she said. "I was really worried about what to wear. I've never set foot in a high school before. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to it."

"You could always go back to the streets," Lucy suggested, hopefully.

"Lucy!" Sam hissed.

"I know," Dani admitted, unhurt. "Don't think I haven't seriously considered it."

"Seriously?" Lucy asked, amazed.

"Oh, yeah. Someone told me not too long ago that I should try and get away from life on the streets, though. When the Professor offered to find me a place to live, I thought maybe this was what they were talking about. Twigs always was good at guessing what people needed."

"Wait, you decided to join up with us because some street poet told you to?" Lucy paused, as something occured to her, then. "You know, if I could just say one thing, you don't strike me as the sort who accepts charity from people. How come taking money from the Professor is suddenly oakey-dokey with you?"

"It's actually money for Marigold to pay for taking me in," Dani explained. "But the first check wasn't supposed to come in so soon. I think the Professor may have hurried things along. She told me to take the check and buy myself whatever I needed for school, since Marigold will probably just spend it on dog food. I wouldn't have believed her if I hadn't seen the house first. I really want to move. The cockroaches are already moving back in, and it's only been a couple of days."

Dani headed back into the changing booth, then turned halfway towards Lucy. "Um, Sam? I really hate to ask, but there was one other thing I wanted to try on before we go. The thing is, it zips up in the back, and I can't reach around that far. Could you come and help me?"

Sam, to his credit, did not blush. "You want me to..." he gurgled, turning pale.

"I'll do it," Lucy grumbled, stepping in front of him. "Boys aren't supposed to go in there, Dani."

"Oh, right," she nodded, embarassed. "Would you mind helping me, Lucy?"

Lucy glanced towards a severely sweating Sam. "It doesn't look like I have much of an option now, do I?"

The moment Lucy closed the curtain behind her, blocking Michael and Sam's view, a hand grabbed her by the throat. At the same time, a flash of red light lit up the closet-sized chamber for an instant. The hand clutching her was suddenly wearing a white glove. The glove shined the same florescent red color as Lucy felt herself being raised up off the carpet and into the air.

"Let's get one thing perfectly clear," Dani said threateningly, as she shoved Lucy up against the wall. "I am not your little toy soldier to boss around and order to march left or right. I agreed to all this on a trail basis, and right now, you are seriously wearing down on my last nerve. I won't do something as low as jump you from behind, or humiliate you in front of your friends by beating the crap out of you and proving just what a selfish bitch you are, but this holier-than-thou garbage you've been shoveling around on me is going to stop."

"You can't..." Lucy began, but then Dani tightened her fist.

"I mean it," she warned. "Consider my patience now truly at an end. I've got enough on my plate to deal with. Don't make me add you to the list."

"You disobeyed a direct order," Lucy insisted, talking around the grip holding her up. "I gave the order to fire, and you didn't listen. I'm the field commander here, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah?" said Dani, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, from what I hear, there might be a different field commander for the Specter Detectors soon. And if that's the case, I just might stick around for the sake of watching you at long last getting put in your place."

With that, Dani let go and watched her fall down to the floor on her butt. "Now, if you don't mind," she said, warningly. "I still need to change."

Lucy stood up, gave one last mean look to Dani, then burst out from behind the curtains in a huff. Sam and Michael opened their mouths to speak to her as she strode past, but Lucy ignored them. She didn't stop running until her feet had carried her out of the store and farther down the mall. It was only then that she heard her Specter Phone ringing.

"Hello?" she breathed, trying to steady her voice. "Professor?"

"I'm afraid not," said the male voice on the other end. "You sound as though you've had a rather bad day, Ms. Myers. I don't supposed it would have anything to do with a certain half-ghost currently shopping inside the local thrift store now, would it?"

Lucy froze. "Who is this?" she demanded, glancing around. "How did you get this number?"

"I have my ways," was all he would say.

"You're voice," Lucy whispered, thinking hard. "I've heard it before."

"Beautiful, and an excellent memory," he cheered. "Professor Wraitheon chose well with you, unlike her latest recruit. I suppose we all make mistakes, though. Getting back to the reason for my call, however, word has reached me that there are some problems within your team since the arrival of the half-ghost girl. I was just wondering if you would be willing to consider jumping ship."

"What?"

"Not all at once, of course," he assured her. "But your newest teammate seems to be causing you some trouble. If you ever decide you want to have her removed from the equation, I would be more than happy to help you out."

"You, help me out," Lucy stated in disbelieve, finally placing the man on the phone. "Why would you do that?"

"You have so much more potential than anyone has ever given you credit for," Zeitgiest told her. "I'd hate to see it wasted. Keep your phone close to you in the coming months, Ms. Myers. I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about with one another."


End file.
